Medieval kings and queens

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

Was King John murdered?

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.

King John and the French invasion

Battle of Barnet: This lively, if inaccurate, 15th- century illustration of the shows a coronet- wearing Edward skewering Warwick with his lance

The battle of Barnet, 1471: the Wars of the Roses clash that killed the Kingmaker

Portrait of Richard III of England (1452-1485) King of England until his death in the Battle of Bosworth Field. Dated 15th Century (Photo by: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Richard III: your guide to the last Yorkist king of England

Josephine Baker with her adopted children. She called them the ‘Rainbow Tribe’. (Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)

Memorable mothers: history’s most remarkable mums

Henry the Young King is crowned in 1170. (Wikimedia Commons)

The real King Arthur and his Lancelot? Henry the Young King’s remarkable friendship with William Marshal

A c1520–40 portrait of Henry VI

The miraculous afterlife of Henry VI

A depiction of Robin Hood, the heroic archer in English folklore who supposedly robbed the rich and gave to the poor. (Photo by Culture Club/Getty Images)

Robin Hood: 7 myths about about the legendary outlaw of Sherwood Forest

Mary, Queen of Scots

9 of the worst monarchs in history

Richard III, Queen Victoria and Henry VIII. (Photos by Getty Images)

Monarchy history quiz: test your knowledge of these kings and queens

Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor playing Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII in the 1963 film, Cleopatra. (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)

7 of the most memorable couples in history

Empress Matilda

Empress Matilda, daughter of Henry I: a queen in a king’s world

An illustration of King Richard speaking to James Tyrrell in William Shakespeare's 'The Tragedy of King Richard the Third

Have we completely misinterpreted Shakespeare’s Richard III?

A portrait of Elizabeth I, c1565

The 10 best English queens in history

Hadrian's Wall (UNESCO World Heritage Site, 1987), near Housesteads, England, United Kingdom, Roman civilization, 2nd century.

Blog Medieval(ish) matters #15: What’s lurking in the background of medieval maps? And what did medieval people really know about the wider world?