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Q&A
Have twins ever been in line for the English throne? In that eventuality, how would it be decided which should become monarch?
In terms of inheriting the British throne, the same rule applies to twins as to single children – the firstborn inherits. Even if the first child is only minutes older than the younger, he or she still takes the prize.
We have not yet had twins in line to the British throne. Twins are an increasingly common occurrence in 21st-century Britain but rare in history, chiefly because...
Were the English gods really identical to those of the Vikings?
Both the pagan English and the pagan Vikings were Germanic peoples from north-western Europe. They shared many cultural traits, including a pantheon of pagan gods. The English were Christianised...
Did gladiators usually fight to the death?
The image of a row of gladiators standing before their emperor reciting the dread words, “We who are about to die salute you,” is a powerful but highly misleading one. While a convicted...
Who was Carrie Nation?
Born in Kentucky in 1846, Carrie Amelia Nation was an American temperance reformer who became famous in the first years of the 20th century for marching into bars, armed with a hatchet, and smashing...
Was Buffalo Bill Italian?
William Cody, the showman also known as Buffalo Bill, was born in Iowa and was as American as they come. Cody died in 1917 but, by then, he had taken his wild west shows around the world. In the...
Who was Sarah Hare?
Sarah Hare was the spinster daughter of a minor member of the gentry. She died in 1744, at the age of 55, after pricking herself while sewing and contracting septicaemia.
Sarah would be entirely...
Has there ever been the rank of Queen’s Corporal in the British army?
This is a tough one, even for the experts. “It’s one of those titles that one hears from time to time but it’s exceptionally difficult to pin down,” says Ian Beckett, co-...
What are Biddenden cakes?
Every Easter Monday, in the village of Biddenden in Kent, a charity doles out tea, cheese and loaves of bread to local pensioners, and distributes hard-baked biscuits, known as Biddenden cakes, to...
Is it true that Francis Drake discovered a cure or a medicine to fight scurvy?
A debilitating disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, the scurvy was once the scourge of seamen on long voyages. As they travelled the globe in search of new lands, sailors faced abominable living...
Who was Catherine Willoughby who it is said nearly became Henry VIII’s last queen?
Catherine was the daughter of Maria de Salinas, Queen Catherine of Aragon’s favourite lady-in-waiting, and William, Lord Willoughby d’Eresby, a prominent courtier. She was born in 1519...
Was Fanny Adams a real person? I heard somewhere that she may have been the victim of a murder
She was. The case was one of the most shocking and notorious murders in Victorian England.
Fanny was the fourth of seven children. On the afternoon of Saturday 24 August 1867, eight-year-old...
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- Gandhi items to be auctioned in Ludlow http://t.co/6vNqCDTKs7 — 7 hours 57 min ago
- @HelenPins Thanks for your comments, Helen. Glad you're enjoying the issue! — 14 hours 13 min ago
- @PMRenault Hi Paul, that's a good point. I'll put it to our audio and online teams and see what they suggest — 14 hours 14 min ago
- Cause of 19thC Irish potato famine identified http://t.co/QaJBFJBlNM — 14 hours 14 min ago
- @martinwalker666 Good question, Martin. We'll add it to our list of Q&As for the mag — 1 day 10 hours ago