Early medieval

The figure Mulan on a silk print, c19th century

General ancient history

Mulan: the history of the Chinese legend behind the film

Princes in the Tower

Editor’s pick 9 top articles from the BBC History Magazine archive to read right now

King John hunting on horseback, 14th century. The contention that his badness was a later invention simply doesn't stack up, argues Marc Morris. (Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

Was King John really that bad? Yes!

The Crown of Thorns allegedly worn by Christ during the Passion. It was one of the prized possessions in Notre-Dame Cathedral until April 2019 – when it was rescued by the inferno that gutted the building. (Photo by: Godong/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Father, son and holy goat? The dark side of medieval relics

A British military post in a street in Dublin during the Easter Uprising, 1916. (Photo by ullstein picture via Getty Images)

The history of Ireland: 11 milestone moments

A memorial tomb to King Æthelstan, the first Saxon king of all England, in Malmesbury Abbey, Wiltshire. (Photo by Geography Photos/UIG via Getty Images)

A brief history of England

An illustration depicting King Arthur fighting the Saxons, from the Rochefoucauld Grail. The absence of a clear and present origin for King Arthur has created a ‘void’ which many are keen to fill, says Miles Russell. (Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

The real King Arthur: why are we so obsessed with trying to solve the mystery?

Newark Castle flanked by the river Trent. To say that King John's death here in 1216 was little-lamented is something of an understatement.

The Library Where history happened: King John and the French invasion

King John. (Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)

Why ‘Bad King John’ was actually good

Sunlight dapples a clearing in Sherwood Forest, which was an essential resource for peasants centuries before it became a tourist attraction (Photo by Alamy)

Where history happened Ancient forests

King John hunting on horseback, 14th century. (Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

Was King John murdered?

Historian Simon Schama.

Books interview: Simon Schama

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5 reasons you won’t want to miss our York History Weekend

An illustration depicting King John signing Magna Carta in 1215. (Photo by The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images)

6 Magna Carta myths explained

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The real King John and the BBC in World War Two