Treason: Codes, Spies & Conspiracies

Thomas Cromwell's cloak-and-dagger work helped steer Henry VIII through his troubles with Rome and several wives.

In the face of conspiracies to replace or even kill the Queen, Walsingham established a network of spies and informants in England and Europe. The use of ciphers, coded documents and invisible ink was legendary.

A profile of Robert Cecil, a formidable political operator who devised and established an extraordinary web of spies and informers designed to ensure King James I's security.

Profile of Cardinal Richelieu, who as Louis XIII's diabolical chief minister, was feared and hated thanks to his complex spy network.

The spies who worked during the American Civil War, including Elizabeth van Lew, whose effective network even smuggled out messages in hollow eggs.

The journey of two women at the heart of espionage affairs: Zofia Potocka (1760 - 1822) and Mata Hari (1876 - 1917), who became famous for their intrigues.