William Marshal: The archetypal knight
A younger son of a minor nobleman who became a notable tourneyer and warrior, a comrade to princes and kings,...
A younger son of a minor nobleman who became a notable tourneyer and warrior, a comrade to princes and kings,...
The Apollo of Delphi was the god of black jokes. Herodotus says that Croesus, legendarily wealthy king of Lydia, feared...
Monarchy is very much a family business. According to the law of primogeniture, the eldest son should follow his father...
All that is generally remembered about Spencer Perceval is that he was the only British prime minister ever to be...
Victoria was born into a family that rather resented her, and her cousin Charlotte was the product of a failed...
The three main strands of the chivalric ethos – warrior, courtier and Christian – might throw up some contradictions, but...
Well aware of this increase in realism, Henry VIII decided to choose his fourth wife from her portrait. Traditionally, dynastic...
On 6th February 1553, Mary rode to court to see Edward who was still ill. By March, some observers believed...
On his death, Alexander left as heirs only a mad brother and a posthumous son, neither of whom were able...
The Allies agreed that the establishment of a second front in north-west Europe was essential to defeat Germany. The Soviets...