Episode notes
The story of bullied teenager John Bean, a newsvendor who turned assassin.
Podcast
Killing Victoria
BBC Studios · History · English
During the 63-year-long reign of Queen Victoria, seven men took the fateful decision to try to kill her. The seven men were within seconds of changing history - each could have brought the Victorian era to a premature end, yet each has been forgotten to history. This new podcast series narrated by D
More from Killing Victoria All episodes →
-
26 Feb 2026 · 28 min
What to listen to next: The History Bureau
If journalism is the first draft of history, what happens if that draft turns out to be flawed? The History Bureau revisits the defining stories of our times with the reporters who first covered them. What did they get right first time around? And, in the chaos and confusion of unfolding events, what did they miss? Season 1: Putin and the Apartment Bombs. In September 1999, just weeks after a 46-year-old Vladimir Putin became Prime Minister, four bombs blew up four apartment buildings across Russia, killing hundreds of people while they slept. The attacks plunged the country into panic.…
-
S1 · E7 · 1 May 2023 · 35 min
7. The Wanderer
The story of the assassin who attempted to kill Victoria on her way to Windsor Castle.
-
S1 · E6 · 24 Apr 2023 · 35 min
6. The Intruder
The young rebel who broke into Buckingham Palace holding a list of demands and a pistol.
-
S1 · E5 · 17 Apr 2023 · 41 min
5. The Soldier
A soldier named Robert Pate undertakes the most serious attack on Queen Victoria yet.
-
S1 · E4 · 10 Apr 2023 · 33 min
4. The Bricklayer
In the crowd marking Victoria’s 30th birthday is an out of work bricklayer and he’s armed
-
S1 · E2 · 27 Mar 2023 · 36 min
2. The Bankrupt
The story of John Francis, a failed shopkeeper turned assassin.
-
S1 · E1 · 20 Mar 2023 · 40 min
1. The Monster
The dramatic story of the first assassin, a fame-seeking teenager named Edward Oxford.
-
12 Mar 2023 · 4 min
Introducing Killing Victoria
During her 63 year reign, seven men tried to kill Queen Victoria.
