BEST OF THE REST

VICTORIA & ALBERT: THE ROYAL WEDDING

BBC2, 8.30pm

BACK in 1840, two 20-year-olds became the most famous couple on Earth.

Queen Victoria had an arranged marriage with Prince Albert, but unexpectedly it led to one of the greatest ever love stories.

In this historical documentary, Lucy Worsley guides us through an authentic re-staging of their wedding, in a bid to tell the story of the couple and what the marriage meant at the time.

With people clamouring for the end of the monarchy, this was the beginning of a royal PR machine in action – the birth of a brand. “The marriage saved the crown,” says Lucy.

Using Victoria’s own journals, the team of experts set about recreating everything from the wedding food and music to Victoria’s legendary dress.

LIVE: CELEBRITY HELP THE ANIMALS AT CHRISTMAS

Channel 5, 8pm

WHAT more could we hope to see at Christmas than Ben Fogle holding a tiny hedgehog?

This new format is like a Children In Need extravaganza, but for animals.

Channel 5 has teamed up with five animal charities – RSPCA, Scottish SPCA, the Donkey Sanctuary, the Blue Cross and the Wild Life Aid Foundation – for three, yes three, hours of festive entertainment and fundraising.

Across the evening there are special episodes of shows such as Ben Fogle’s New Lives In The Wild, The Yorkshire Vet, Jo Brand’s Kitten Rescue, Cruising With Jane McDonald and The Dog Rescuers.