Historical films

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as Harry, Ron and Hermione on the set of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

The real magic of Harry Potter: 15 details the wizarding world borrows from history

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8 historical reasons behind Anne Boleyn’s appearance in Princess Diana film Spencer

Kristen Stewart as Diana, Princess of Wales

“It doesn’t fall into the trap of making Diana a saint”: a historian’s review of Spencer

Zazie Beetz and Jonathan Majors in the Netflix film The Harder They Fall

The Harder They Fall: the real cowboys who inspired the black Western

Zazie Beetz and Jonathan Majors in the Netflix film The Harder They Fall (2021), directed by Jeymes Samuel. (Photo by Netflix–Overbrook Entertainment–Alamy)

Black cowboys on screen

Jodie Comer plays Marguerite de Carrouges in the upcoming film 'The Last Duel',

“A spotlight on historic societal misogyny and disbelief of women”: what The Last Duel gets right and wrong

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Trial by combat: the real history behind The Last Duel

A 14th-century illustration shows two bishops watching men fight to the death in a trial by combat.

Medieval trial by combat: the real history behind The Last Duel

Jodie Comer plays Marguerite de Carrouges in the upcoming film 'The Last Duel',

The medieval women who spoke out against sexual violence

Dev Patel stars as Sir Gawain in The Green Knight an adaptation of the Arthurian romance Sir Gawain and The Green Knight

“An intoxicating triumph true to the grandeur of the poem”: a historian’s review of The Green Knight

The Spartan king Leonidas at the battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC. The conflict has become the archetype for the courageous last stand, pitting around 200,000 Persians against 7,000 Spartans.

Your guide to the battle of Thermopylae

Rege-Jean Page as Simon Basset and Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne Bridgerton

The best historical TV shows and movies to stream in 2021

A panel of experts tackle the big questions surrounding period drama in the 21st century and ask: what’s next? (Images by Getty, Channel 5 and Alamy)

What’s next for period drama?

The cast of Downton Abbey in front of Highclere Castle. (Image by Alamy)

The upstairs/downstairs world of Downton Abbey: how true to life is it?

A composite of characters from 21st century period drama

What’s next for period drama?