Kings and queens

Empress Matilda

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

Brothers in arms Louis IX on his way to the Seventh Crusade, 1248. The French king kept his three brothers onside – preventing any potential family infighting – by providing them with huge lordships. (Photo by Leemage/Corbis via Getty Images)

Medieval dynasties: how to stay on the throne

Brothers in arms Louis IX on his way to the Seventh Crusade, 1248. The French king kept his three brothers onside – preventing any potential family infighting – by providing them with huge lordships. (Photo by Leemage/Corbis via Getty Images)

Bonds of blood: survival secrets of medieval royal families

An illustration depicting the death of William II at the hands of Walter Tirel. Although his death is thought to have been a hunting accident, some contemporary observers

Death in the New Forest: how King William II met his demise

Historian Lauren Johnson

Exclusive podcast Lauren Johnson on the life and death of Henry VI

A painting of the Princes in the Tower

Did Richard III really kill the Princes in the Tower?

The princes in the Tower

The Princes in the Tower: history’s greatest mysteries

A portrait of Queen Anne of Great Britain and Ireland.

Your guide to Queen Anne, the last of the Stuart monarchs

Alexander the Great

Where is Alexander the Great buried? And other questions about his death…

A portrait of Elizabeth I, c1565

The 10 best English queens in history

A portrait of Thomas Cromwell.

The downfall of Thomas Cromwell

King Arthur addresses his knights in a 12th-century Arthurian manuscript now held in Rennes, France. (Photo by: Leemage/UIG via Getty Images)

King Arthur: five men who made up the legendary Dark Ages king

Historian Nicola Tallis

Exclusive podcast Nicola Tallis on the life of Margaret Beaufort

Mary, Queen of Scots

9 of the worst monarchs in history

Richard III

57 history questions for your home pub quiz (updated)