Kings and queens

King John hunting on horseback

Was King John really that bad? Yes!

The coronation of Queen Victoria in June 1838. Despite the many challenges of her childhood, she emerged as a fresh start for the monarchy after the unpopular regime of her uncles, Kings George and William IV. (Image by Bridgeman)

Did Queen Victoria have an unhappy childhood? Lucy Worsley on the monarch’s life under the ‘Kensington System’

Painting of the Field of Cloth of Gold (artist unknown) from around 1545

In a nutshell The Field of the Cloth of Gold

Illustration of King John ripping up Magna Carta

What if... Magna Carta hadn’t been written?

Mary Queen of Scots, after Nicholas Hilliard, 16th century, National Portrait Gallery, London. (Photo by SuperStock)

7 podcasts about British kings and queens to listen to right now

Photo of Queen Elizabeth II and members of the Privy Council

In a nutshell What does the Privy Council do?

Cloisters at Fountains Abbey, North Yorkshire (Photo by Dreamstime)

Everything you ever wanted to know about the English Reformation, but were afraid to ask

HistoryExtra’s top 15 most listened to podcast episodes

Fresco by Memmo di Filippuccio, Palazzo Comunale, San Gimignano/Tuscany (Photo by Alamy)

12 podcasts about medieval history to listen to right now

Henry III during the Second Barons' War

Simon de Montfort and the barons’ crusade: why rebel lords waged holy war against Henry III

A portrait of Marie Antoinette dated 1783 and painted by Vigée-Le Brun. (Photo by Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)

The life and death of Marie Antoinette: everything you need to know

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

Engraving of the death of Cleopatra

When did Queen Cleopatra die and who killed her?

Painting of Alfred the Great

Alfred the Great and Edington: how the King of Wessex became great

Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh presented by Viking Cruises opens at the Saatchi Gallery on 2 November. Tickets on-sale now, please visit: www.tutankhamun-london.com

6 podcasts about ancient Egypt to listen to right now