josephinewilkinson

Josephine Wilkinson is an author specialising in French history. Her books include Louis XIV: The Power and the Glory (Pegasus, 2020)

Recent articles by josephinewilkinson

Athénaïs de Montespan, one of the official mistresses of Louis XIV, was a suspect in a scandalous plot to murder the French king (Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

General Early Modern

The Affair of the Poisons: who plotted to kill King Louis XIV?

The Three Musketeers sitting at a table

The real three musketeers: the historical Athos, Porthos and Aramis (and d’Artagnan) revealed

Illustration of the man in the iron mask standing by the window of his cell and guarded by two musketeers

Unmasking the ‘man in the iron mask’: do we know the identity of the famous prisoner?

VAUXVICOMTEmain-9f5d872

Vaux-le-Vicomte: the inspiration for Louis XIV’s Versailles

A portrait of Catherine Howard. (Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

Catherine Howard: The death of innocence