Women's history

From players who captivated audiences to composers who pushed boundaries, Susan Tomes explores the history of the piano. (Image from Getty Images)

The piano: a musical history

A fresco depicting St Nicholas receiving the sick. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)

Post pandemic: how the years after the Black Death briefly became a ‘golden age’ for medieval women

Elinor Cleghorn traces the long history of the misdiagnosis and mistreatment of women’s health issues, from the ancient world to the modern day. (Image by Getty Images)

From hysteria to wandering wombs: women and medicine through history

From left to right: Queen Isabella of Castile; French regent Anne de Beaujeu; and Catherine of Aragon. (Photos by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/DeAgostini/Imagno/Getty Images)

Game of Queens: when women ruled Renaissance Europe

How has the way in which we understand the menopause evolved over time? (Illustration by Megan Reddi)

A time of change: a history of our understanding of the menopause

Anne Sebba explores the life of Ethel Rosenberg, who was executed for espionage in one of the most sensational and controversial episodes of the Cold War. (Image by Getty Images)

The trials of Ethel Rosenberg

Eleanor of Woodstock, eldest daughter of Edward II, whom you can read more about in the April 2019 issue of BBC History Magazine. Medieval princesses had more agency than we might think says historian Kelcey Wilson-Lee. (Image by Alamy)

7 things you didn’t know a medieval princess could do

Eleanor of Aquitaine depicted in a 12th-century prayer book

The real Eleanor of Aquitaine: 5 myths about the medieval queen

Larry Loftis details the life and work of Aline Griffith, a model-turned-spy who rose to the upper echelons of society in WW2 Spain. (Image by Getty Images)

Second World War

Socialite, countess, WW2 spy: Aline Griffith

A decorative portrait of Elizabeth Woodville

How to be a medieval queen: the realities of being a royal woman in the Middle Ages

Matilda (circa 1031-1083) was Queen Consort of William the Conqueror. (Photo by The Print Collector/Getty Images)

Norman women: the power behind the thrones

Elizabeth Woodville with her husband, Edward IV. According to one medieval document, their marriage only came about “by Sorcerie and Wichecrafte, committed by the said Elizabeth, and her Moder Jaquett Duchess of Bedford”. (Photo by Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Medieval royal witches: from Elizabeth Woodville to Queen Joan of Navarre

Kate Vigurs discusses the female agents of Britain’s Special Operations Executive, who carried out resistance work in France during the Second World War

Second World War

Women secret agents in Nazi-occupied France

Colour portrait of Jane Austen

Jane Austen: a guide to her life, books and death – plus 8 fascinating facts

Illustration by Eleanor Shakespeare

“Make love not midnight snacks”: a social history of slimming clubs