BBC History Magazine & BBC World Histories Magazine - History Extra

After her recovery from smallpox, Queen Elizabeth I started using a ceruse foundation on her face, neck and chest. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)

5 weird habits of royals through history

The Library Anne Lister: the secret life of Britain’s ‘first modern lesbian’

Subscribe for unlimited access to The Library

Jared Diamond on countries in crisis

The coronation of Queen Victoria in June 1838. Despite the many challenges of her childhood, she emerged as a fresh start for the monarchy after the unpopular regime of her uncles, Kings George and William IV. (Image by Bridgeman)

The Library “Victoria’s unusual childhood was the making of her reign”: Lucy Worsley on the queen’s youth

Subscribe for unlimited access to The Library

Latest articles

The Spanish Princess

As a new drama about Catherine of Aragon begins, read about the real stories of the Tudor royals featured in the series…

A portrait of Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII's first wife. Henry and Catherine's marriage was a happy one, until their failure to produce a male heir began to cast a long shadow. (Photo by The Print Collector/Getty Images)

Catherine of Aragon: Henry’s greatest queen

Elizabeth of York has been overshadowed by more vigorous, proactive queens – unfairly so, in the eyes of Alison Weir. (Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

The Library Elizabeth of York: a Tudor of rare talent

Subscribe for unlimited access to The Library

The Spanish Princess, starring Charlotte Hope as Catherine of Aragon, charts the story of the woman who married into the Tudor dynasty. (Image credit: Starz)

The real history behind The Spanish Princess

Painting of Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, depicted on her knees in prayer wearing a head covering. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Library Margaret Beaufort: mother of the Tudors

Subscribe for unlimited access to The Library

Podcast-Website-large-Miranda-Kaufmann-8419c34

Black Tudors

Henry VIII's first wife, Catherine of Aragon, c1502. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty images)

Catherine of Aragon: Spain’s Virgin queen?

Read more about Catherine of Aragon

In the news

Today’s events in historical context…

(Illustration by Davide Bonazzi for BBC History Magazine)

The big question: has the European Union been a success?

Subscribe for unlimited access to The Library

A cartoon from 1862 shows a pair 'garroters' attacking a victim. (Photo by The Cartoon Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images)

Knife-crime fears: how have we responded through history?

Matilda (circa 1031-1083) was Queen Consort of William the Conqueror. (Photo by The Print Collector/Getty Images)

Norman women: the power behind the thrones

(Photo by Alamy)

The Library Brexit lessons from history

Subscribe for unlimited access to The Library

The Library

Unlock exclusive content for BBC History Magazine subscribers

British troops learn to swim in full kit on a training course in May 1944. "A blind man could see something big was about to happen," said one soldier. (Image by Getty Archives)

Second World War

The Library D-day: why the training was deadlier than the assault

Subscribe for unlimited access to The Library

3822353 Anne Lister of Shibden Hall (oil on canvas) by Horner, Joshua (1812-84) (attr.to); 74x61 cm; Calderdale Museums Service, West Yorkshire, UK; (add.info.: Anne Lister (1791‚Äì1840) was a diarist, mountaineer, traveller and wealthy landowner of Shibden Hall, Yorkshire. ); British, out of copyright.

The Library Anne Lister: the secret life of Britain’s ‘first modern lesbian’

Subscribe for unlimited access to The Library

Empire Cinema and Casino, Leicester Square, London. It was originally a theatre and ballet venue, before reopening as a music hall in 1884. (Image by Alamy)

The Library History explorer: The birth of British cinema

Subscribe for unlimited access to The Library

Da Vinci's sketch 'The Vitruvian Man'. Da Vinci's talents ranged from anatomy to military engineering, and many of his innovations were not explored further for several centuries. (Photo by: Photo12/UIG via Getty Images)

The Library Leonardo da Vinci’s genius: 7 of his visions for the future

Subscribe for unlimited access to The Library

More from The Library

History Extra Podcast

The latest episodes from the History Extra podcast

Marc Morris at BBC History Magazine's 2017 History Weekend (Photo by Steve Sayers)

Secrets of Britain’s castles

podcast-logo_v4_31-21a6c69

The origins of the Tudors

Subscribe for unlimited access to The Library

The Vietnam War podcast

The Vietnam War on film

Jim Sturgess as George Boleyn and Natalie Portman as Anne Boleyn. in the film 'The Other Boleyn Girl' (2008) (Photo by Alamy)

The rise and fall of the Boleyns

Simon Sebag Montefiore on letters from history. (Photo by Dreamstime)

Letters that changed the world

Cathy Newman speaks to the History Extra podcast about 'Bloody Brilliant Women'. (Photo by Getty Images)

Women who made modern Britain

View all podcasts

Trending in the US

Portrait of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband and consort. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

What killed Prince Albert?

Portrait of Jane Seymour, third wife of Henry VIII, 1536. (Photo by Imagno/Getty Images)

The Library Henry VIII's six wives in a different light

Subscribe for unlimited access to The Library

Marc Morris at BBC History Magazine's 2017 History Weekend (Photo by Steve Sayers)

Secrets of Britain’s castles

mary-boleyn-portrait-2-63c21a3

Henry VIII’s mistresses: who else did the Tudor king sleep with?

Read American history

Game of Thrones

As the eighth and final season of the fantasy epic continues…

Williams, Maisie as Arya Stark

Game of Thrones: the real-life medieval history

Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland. (Loop Images/UIG via Getty Images)

A brief history of Hadrian’s Wall

Hardian's Wall, a world heritage site. (Photo by Getty Images)

A tale of two walls: how Hadrian’s Wall inspired Game of Thrones

KRISTOFER HIVJU GAME OF THRONES

The Library Game of Thrones: medieval inspiration

Subscribe for unlimited access to The Library

The food served at the wedding of Joffrey Baratheon and Margaery Tyrell may be inspired by accounts of ancient Roman excess, says Ayelet Haimson Lushkov. (© Home Box Office, Inc/Sky Atlantic)

Power plays and scheming queens: the ancient history behind Game of Thrones

The battle of Towton during the War of the Roses, 1461. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

12 things you (probably) didn’t know about the Wars of the Roses

Brexit

The history behind Britain’s decision to leave the European Union…

Treaty Of Paris, 1783, by Benjamin West (Photo by Granger/REX/Shutterstock)

Brexit and American independence

(Getty Images)

The Library Why has Britain decided to leave the EU?

Subscribe for unlimited access to The Library

A cartoon from 'Punch' magazine (1903) titled 'Fidgety Joe', by Edward Linley Sambourne, depicting two parents representing the Duke of Devonshire and Arthur Balfour (centre), respective leaders of the Liberal Unionist and Conservative parties, trying to control their son, Joseph Chamberlain. In 1903, Joseph Chamberlain began his famous crusade for Imperial Preference – an issue which caused deep divisions in the government and ultimately paved the way for the Liberal Party's return to power in the 1906 general election. (Photo by Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images)

Brexit, the Corn Laws and the Common Market: a brief history of Britain’s trade deals

The Library Brexit lessons from history

Subscribe for unlimited access to The Library

“The anglocentric view we have of British history is unsustainable,” says Misha Glenny

The Library The reluctant Europeans

Subscribe for unlimited access to The Library

Latest articles

Princess Margaret attends the premiere of Captain Horatio Hornblower, Leicester Square, 1951. (Photo by Ron Burton/Keystone/Getty Images)

The Queen’s “rebel sister”: 8 facts about Princess Margaret

A fragment from the 'Alexander Mosaic', c100 BC, showing Alexander the Great in battle against the Persian king Darius III. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)

6 things you (probably) didn’t know about Alexander the Great

Chatsworth House, where Elizabeth I ordered for Mary, Queen of Scots to be imprisoned after she abdicated and fled from Scotland to England in 1567. (Photo by Chatsworth House Trust)

Britain’s 7 most amazing stately homes

Victoria's unusual childhood was the making of her reign, says Lucy Worsley in the June 2019 issue of BBC History Magazine. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty images)

8 rules of the ‘Kensington System’ that governed Queen Victoria’s childhood

Advertisement

History Quizzes

How much do you know about history? Test out your knowledge with our quizzes...

People praying for relief from the bubonic plague, circa 1350. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Medieval quiz

A depiction of a witch on a broomstick. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)

History quiz – Halloween

Subscribe for unlimited access to The Library

The results of the poll: 100 women who changed the world. (Photos by Getty Images/Alamy)

Quiz: 100 Women Who Changed The World

great fire 4

Great Fire of London quiz – how much do you know?

View more quizzes

Popular historic periods

Portrait of King Henry VIII, Jane Seymour and Prince Edward. (Photo by Getty Images)

Tudor

Illustrated Medieval scene from the Romance of Lancelot

Medieval

Victorian - Getty Images

Victorian

20th Century - Getty Images

20th Century

Explore more historic periods

Popular people from history

Painting of Henry VIII

Henry VIII

Portrait of Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria

Winston Churchill gives his famous v-sign as he opens the new headquarters of 615 (County of Surrey) Squadron of the RAAF (Royal Auxiliary Air Force) at Croydon, 1948. (Photo by Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Winston Churchill

Golden funerary mask of Tutankhamun, inlaid with lapis lazuli, obsidian and turquoise. (Photo By DEA / G. DAGLI ORTI/De Agostini/Getty Images)

Tutankhamun

Explore more people from history

Popular historic topics

Dockers unloading wine barrels

Social history

Photo of Mabel Capper and Patricia Woodlock advertising a meeting, Manchester, Lancashire, July 1908

Women's history

Illustration of a couple

Sex and love

The charge of the light, battle illustration

Military history

Explore more historic topics