Marie Antoinette Style at the V&A, London
Marie Antoinette is one of the most famous and most misunderstood figures of 18th-century France. Carly Hilts visited a new exhibition exploring her life and legacy.
Monarchy
The World of King James VI & I at National Galleries of Scotland: Portrait
Gunpowder, treason, and plot; witch trials and sexual scandals; political, cultural, and religious innovations – James VI & I’s reign was undeniably eventful. Carly Hilts visited an exhibition investigating the man behind the monarch.
The Anarchy: The first English civil war, 1135-1153
A bloody succession crisis that tore England apart also gave rise to a dynasty that would rule for 300 years. In the first of two pieces about early civil wars, Stephen Roberts examines one of the country’s darkest periods.
MHM 147 Letters – July
Your thoughts on issues raised by the magazine.
The last warrior monarch
Graham Goodlad reviews the military career of a ruler who gained the British throne in a bloodless coup but had to fight to retain it and then analyses in detail his part in the battle against French domination of the Low Countries.
England’s warrior kings
Infographics: Calum Henderson
Freedom’s champion: Robert the Bruce, 1274-1329
The man who delivered Scotland’s independence was born 750 years ago this summer. Stephen Roberts examines his life, and analyses the landmark victory that forged a nation.
1217: The battles that saved England
REVIEW BY DUNCAN CAMERON The reign of King John is a period of immense significance in English history, comparable to the events of 1066 and the Norman Conquest a century and a half previously. John’s signing of the Magna Carta…
The Lionheart in winter: Richard I’s last campaign, 1194-1199
He was the ‘Crusader King’, whose exploits made him a national hero. But does Richard I deserve his reputation as a martial genius? Stephen Roberts studies his final campaign in search of clues.
This week: Coronations
It seems likely that Harold Godwinson was the first king to be crowned at Westminster Abbey, though there is no documentary evidence from the time to confirm this. As a result, that honour is accorded officially to Harold’s successor, William…
Coronations Quiz
The coronation of Elizabeth II was broadcast live on 2 June 1953. Who provided the BBC TV commentary from inside the Abbey?
Deciphering the Stone of Destiny
The Stone of Destiny – an ancient symbol of the Scottish monarchy – has undergone extensive new analysis in preparation for its role in the Coronation of Charles III at Westminster Abbey. The Stone was taken by Edward I during…
‘For battle it was none’: the murder of Evesham, 1265
It was a battle that changed the course of English history – at which the royalist forces of King Henry III won a famous victory over the rebellious barons led by Simon de Montfort. But the events of 4 August 1265 are ripe for reappraisal, says Stephen Roberts.
Treason: people, power, and plot
A new exhibition at the National Archives in London traces the history of treason since it was first written into English law in 1352. Carly Hilts visited to find out more.
This week: Royal residences
They are sometimes said to be the nation’s real crown jewels: the various palaces, castles and other grand houses which for centuries have formed the backdrop to royal life in the United Kingdom – from Sandringham and Windsor in England…
‘Not so much a residence as a tradition’: the evolution of St James’s Palace from leper hospital to royal court
Buckingham Palace has been the main London residence of the British monarch since 1837, when Queen Victoria chose it as her base, but St James’s Palace remains the official seat of the sovereign, as it has since 1698. Newly appointed ambassadors, therefore, are accredited to ‘the Court of St James’s’, and it is from there that the public proclamation of a new sovereign is first read. Despite this, a comprehensive account of the 800-year history of this royal palace has only just been published, as Chris Catling reports.
The Restless Republic: Britain without a crown
The execution of King Charles I in January 1649 and the subsequent abolition of the monarchy turned Britain into a republic, which it would remain until the Restoration of Charles II 11 years later. Yet it is a period of…
Syon Abbey revisited: reconstructing late medieval England’s wealthiest nunnery
Founded by Henry V and built by Henry VI, Syon Abbey was one of 16th-century England’s richest religious houses. A previous Time Team investigation into its remains provided an invaluable springboard for further research, but their three-day dig could only reveal so much. Now Robert Cowie explores how the story has evolved in light of more recent discoveries.
Queens Quiz
Catherine the Great ruled Russia for 34 years – but in what country was she born?
Thomas Becket: troublesome or over-promoted?
In a way, I began to feel slightly more sympathetic to Henry VIII; the church was extremely powerful and if you are to oppose it, I suppose you must be ruthless.
Keith Marischal: searching for a lost castle and Renaissance palace
The imposing aristocratic residence of Keith Marischal, in East Lothian, has changed dramatically in appearance over recent centuries. What can archaeological investigations funded by the Castle Studies Trust, together with detailed historical research, tell us about its original design? Dr Miles Kerr-Peterson reports.
The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries at Westminster Abbey
New displays in Westminster Abbey’s eastern triforium (the gallery above the nave) explore the long history of the church, its royal links, and its importance as a national monument. Lucia Marchini takes a look at the recently opened Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries.
Richard III: monster and a tyrant?
A character-analysis of the vilified King Richard III.
The Coronation Chair: anatomy of a medieval throne
The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II prompted the first comprehensive archaeological study of the Medieval throne on which British monarchs are crowned. It has been battered and vandalised over the ages, but unpicking this majestic artefact’s evolution shed new light on both its original form and that of the enigmatic Stone of Scone, as Warwick Rodwell reveals.
Johnny & the Prince: archaeological legacies of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
As the country celebrates the Diamond Jubilee, it is opportune to assess the heritage of the second Elizabethan age. John Schofield investigates the archaeology of the present.
The archaeology of royal weddings
As Prince William’s and Kate Middleton’s nuptials this month stir up feverish national excitement, what light can archaeology shed on the pomp and pageantry of the most magnificent of Royal occasions? Brendon Wilkins goes in search of the evidence.