King & Conqueror release date confirmed with first-look images of all-star cast

Alongside the release date announcement, the BBC has also shared several new images from the starry drama – offering a closer look at James Norton and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as feuding leaders King Harold II and William the Conqueror, respectively.

Both men can be seen in almost identical poses as they appear to bathe, while the new stills also include looks at some of the supporting cast members, including Emily Beecham as Edith Swan-neck, Clémence Poésy as Matilda, Eddie Marsan as King Edward and Juliet Stevenson as Lady Emma.

You can find all of those images on this page.

King & Conqueror takes us back to the period preceding the Battle of Hastings and is described by the BBC as "the story of a clash that defined the future of a country – and a continent – for a thousand years, the roots of which stretch back decades and extend out through a pair of interconnected family dynasties, struggling for power across two countries and a raging sea".

The official synopsis continues: "Harold of Wessex and William of Normandy were two men destined to meet at the Battle of Hastings in 1066; two allies with no design on the English throne, who found themselves forced by circumstance and personal obsession into a war for possession of its crown."

The series also stars Clare Holman as Gytha, Luther Ford as Tostig, Bo Bragason as Queen Gunhild, Indy Lewis as Margaret. Elander Moore as Morcar, Geoff Bell as Godwin and Jean-Marc Barr as King Henry.

Meanwhile, rounding out the cast are Elliott Cowan as Sweyn, Bjarne Henriksen as Earl Siward, Oliver Masucci as Baldwin, Jason Forbes as Thane Thomas, Ingvar Sigurdsson as Fitzosbern, Ines Asserson as Judith, Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson as Hardrada and Léo Legrand as Odo.

Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com last year, Norton explained that he was especially excited about King and Conqueror due partly to the fact that he was an integral part of the behind-the-scenes team in addition to his starring role.

He explained: "I mean, that was a real journey for me, because I produced that show as well. So I've been developing it for about six, seven years, and it's been percolating. We've been having meetings. We've been talking to directors, writers. You know, it's been a long, long journey."

He added: "That's another story, which, you know, bizarrely, has never been told on film. We've never seen a Battle of Hastings drama. So, yeah, so exciting, so exciting. I'm so proud."

More recently, he told The Guardian that his own knowledge of the period had been limited until he embarked on the project, explaining that he just "had a vague gloss of it from school".

He said: "I wasn’t aware of the relationship Harold and William had before the battle, that they were friends and allies for many years before they realised that, because of the way Europe was being carved up, they would both inevitably end up on a battlefield – and one of them would have to die.

"It’s mad to think nobody has really done it before. And that’s one of the reasons we spent so long developing it."

King & Conqueror will premiere on BBC iPlayer and BBC One on Sunday 24th August.

Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.