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Portrait of Queen Anne

Queen Anne's reputation: why isn't she more fondly remembered?

Two scenes from the Chronique de St Denis, late 14th century. The left-hand scene depicts the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Louis VII of France in 1137. The scene on the right shows Louis departing by ship to go on the Second Crusade in 1147. (Photo by Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images)

Eleanor of Aquitaine: the medieval queen who took on Europe’s most powerful men

A portrait of the young Elizabeth I. (Photo by Art Collection 2/Alamy Stock Photo)

Elizabeth I's personality: the unfathomable queen

A pile of books

How to write a historical novel and get it published: 9 tips from bestselling authors Alison Weir, Hilary Mantel and more

From 'eyesore' to icon: a brief history of the Eiffel Tower

A woman in riding gear breaks out in a grin in the c1860s. "The 'WE are not amused' slogan has tarnished the Victorians for long enough," writes Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones. (Image by Mary Evans Picture Library)

Smiling Victorians: why it's a myth that our ancestors didn't smile for pictures

A group of young female Red Army snipers, East Prussia, February 1945 (Photo by Sovfoto/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Women at war

Why did Vincent van Gogh cut off his ear?

The effects of the disease known as the Black Death

Black Death quarantine: how did we try to contain the most deadly disease in history?

The Normans: everything you wanted to know

Photo of the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles

The palace of Versailles: Sun King Louis XIV's ultimate power play

How has dating changed over time? A brief history of courtship

American soldiers in Vietnam

The war that America could never win? Opposition, dissent and the Vietnam War

The French actress Sarah Bernhardt

Greg Jenner on the history of celebrity

The US assault on Okinawa

The WW2 battle of Okinawa: the bloodiest assault of the Pacific War

Illustration of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn on their wedding day

The royal weddings of Henry VIII: Alison Weir on what came before divorced, beheaded, died...

Two American soldiers wait for the second wave of combat helicopters of the 1st Air Cavalry Division during Operation Pershing during the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War defined America in the second half of the 20th century. (Photo by Patrick Christain/Getty Images)

Your guide to the Vietnam War – plus 7 surprising facts you might not know

A portrait of Charles I. (Photo by Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images)

Has history been unfair to Charles I?

Pompeii wall painting depicting an erotic satyr and nymph

In bed with the Romans: a brief history of sex in Ancient Rome

On the trail of the lost pianos of Siberia (Photo by Michael Turek)

Russia’s musical journeys

Walt Disney uses a baton to point to sketches of Disneyland

The history of Disneyland: How Walt Disney created the 'Happiest Place on Earth'

Henry VIII

Q&AWhat was the Sweating Sickness? And how did Henry VIII ‘self-isolate’?

Simon Wiesenthal, who became famous after World War II for his work as a 'Nazi hunter'. (Photo by: SeM/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The real Nazi hunters: how the infamous escaped – and those who brought them to justice

Pocahontas and John Smith in Disney's ‘Pocahontas’ (1995). (Photo by AF archive/Alamy Stock Photo)

Disney history: how has the corporation shaped our perception of the past?

How William Shakespeare shaped America

Blitz spirit: how ordinary people coped with WW2

Children play as air raid wardens during the Blitz in London

Q&AHow did WW2 affect schools in London?

PT Barnum and General Tom Thumb

The greatest show on earth? The myths of the Victorian freak show

Shakespeare and America

A James Gillray cartoon: 'Germans eating sour-krout'.

Cabbages and kings: how Georgian royals brought continental food to the British menu