The BBC is set to take an unusual look at the history of the British Empire with the help of comedian Victoria Wood (inset, right).
Queen Victoria never visited the far reaches of her realm, but a new three-part documentary sees her namesake making an epic tour through the old Empire, from Hong Kong to Borneo, Ghana to India, looking for evidence that the British were there.
Interviews with locals who experienced colonisation reveal what the British got up to and native attitudes to their activities.
The first episode of Victoria’s Empire will be broadcast on BBC1 at 9pm on May 6.