Lucy Worsley

About

Lucy Worsley (born 18 December 1973) is an English historian, author, curator, television presenter and podcaster. She was the joint chief curator at Historic Royal Palaces from 2003 to 2024, but is best known amongst UK television viewers as a presenter of BBC Television and Channel 5 series on historical topics.

Worsley was born on 18 December 1973 in Reading, Berkshire, to Peter and Enid (née Kay) Worsley. Her father taught Geology at Reading University, while her mother was a consultant in educational policy and practice.
Worsley attended The Abbey School, Reading; St Bartholomew’s School, Newbury; and West Bridgford School, Nottingham. A history teacher ‘fired up her brain’ by teaching about the Industrial Revolution through a political lens.
She studied Ancient and Modern History at New College, Oxford, graduating in 1995 with a BA First-class honours degree. In 2001, she was awarded a DPhil degree from the University of Sussex.
Worsley played piano from the age of four, took lessons for 15 years and passed all the piano grades. Of her teacher, Miss Beaumont, she said: “At the time I was terrified of her but in retrospect she gave me a great gift…