See the ‘Fantastical Beasts and Foliage’ Featured in These Rare, Newly Discovered Tudor Wall Paintings
Created in the Grotesque style, the 16th-century images—revealed by renovations at a lodge in England—mimic historic textile designs
The Real Story Behind ‘Wolf Hall’ and the Fall of Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII’s Most Controversial Adviser
Based on Hilary Mantel’s novel “The Mirror & the Light,” the last installment in the acclaimed television series chronicles the last four years of the statesman’s life
This Tragic European Monarch Was Executed for Treason on Her Cousin’s Orders
Elizabeth I ordered the beheading of Mary, Queen of Scots, a Catholic claimant to the English throne, on this day in 1587
In 1577, an English Explorer Set Out to Circumnavigate the World. Here’s What His Groundbreaking Journey Accomplished
Francis Drake’s successful voyage included British sailors’ arrival in California and the plundering of a glut of Spanish riches that sustained Elizabeth I’s empire
Firefighters Extinguish Blaze at London’s Somerset House
The palatial complex’s historic artworks sustained no damage from the fire that broke out on August 17
Art Historian Discovers Long-Lost Portrait of Henry VIII in Background of Social Media Post
Commissioned by a wealthy tapestry maker in the 1590s, the Tudor king’s likeness features a distinctive frame with a rounded top
The Brothers Who Asserted Their Right to Free Speech in Tudor England
Peter and Paul Wentworth called on Elizabeth I to name an heir to the throne, wielding Parliament’s free speech privileges to urge the queen to take action
Amateur Historians Unearth a Long-Lost Tudor Palace Visited by Henry VIII and Elizabeth I
Locals had long shared stories of Collyweston Palace. Then, excavations in England’s Midlands revealed traces of the fabled estate
The Real Story Behind ‘Firebrand’ and Henry VIII’s Tumultuous Relationship With His Sixth Wife, Catherine Parr
A new film dramatizes how the Tudor queen narrowly avoided execution on charges of heresy
The Myth of ‘Bloody Mary,’ England’s First Queen
History remembers Mary I as a murderous monster who burned hundreds of her subjects at the stake, but the real story of the Tudor monarch is far more nuanced
The Real Story Behind ‘Mary & George’
The new mini-series dramatizes the Villiers family’s scandalous rise to power at the court of England’s James I
How Medieval Women Expressed Their ‘Forbidden’ Emotions
Upper-class women used letters and embroidery to reflect on their inner lives
117 Fascinating Finds Revealed in 2023
The year’s most exciting discoveries included a stolen Vincent van Gogh painting, a hidden medieval crypt and a gold-covered mummy
See a 17th-Century Portrait Restored to Its Original Appearance, Minus Lip Fillers and Other Touch-Ups
Conservators removed cosmetic changes made to a painting of English aristocrat Diana Cecil, likely to match 19th-century beauty standards
The Ten Best History Books of 2023
Our favorite titles of the year resurrect forgotten histories and illuminate how the United States ended up where it is today
The Surprisingly Radical Roots of the Renaissance Fair
The first of these festivals debuted in the early 1960s, serving as a prime example of the United States’ burgeoning counterculture
These 17th-Century Poems Painted Pictures on the Page—and Defied the Church of England’s Rejection of Religious Images
George Herbert’s shaped poetry subtly pushed back against the iconoclasm of the English Reformation
See Stunning Tudor Tapestries Restored to Their Former Glory
The 13 panels are on view as a set for the first time in 24 years
Hidden for 400 Years, Censored Pages Reveal New Insights Into Elizabeth I’s Reign
Scholars used advanced imaging to read crossed-out, pasted-over passages in the first official account of the Tudor queen’s time on the English throne
A Not-So-Brief History of British Coronations
Ahead of Charles III’s ceremony, here’s what you need to know about the origins and evolution of the centuries-old tradition
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