Monarchs

Long before it was imbued with symbolic meaning in the zodiac and beyond, the dragon was an ambiguous silhouette adorning art forms.

Why Is the Year of the Dragon Considered So Lucky?

The only mythical creature in the Chinese zodiac, the dragon has long been associated with prosperity and imperial power

Western monarchs prefer to cluster in areas with little to no wind, high humidity, dappled sunlight and easy access to nectar-producing plants.

Monarch Butterflies Wintering in California Are Down 30 Percent From Last Year

The insects' population is slowly rebounding from a historic low in 2020, but they remain in crisis, having declined by more than 95 percent since the 1980s

A more than four-foot-long medieval sword was found just to the left of the Swedish man's skeleton.

This Medieval Man Was Buried With a Four-Foot-Long Sword in Sweden

Researchers in Halmstad think he was a high-ranking member of the nobility before his death some 600 years ago

Found by workers during recent restorations, the wall paintings feature three crowned motifs.

Forgotten Tudor Wall Paintings Discovered in a Cambridge University Loft Space

Unseen for nearly 300 years, the art resurfaced during restorations at Christ's College

Diana first spotted the blouse on a rack of clothes presented to her by the fashion team at Vogue magazine.

Princess Diana's Engagement Portrait Blouse Is for Sale

Diana wore the garment for a portrait that officially announced her engagement in 1981

Princess Diana in 1985. The sixth season of "The Crown" opens 12 years later, in the summer of 1997.

How Princess Diana's Death Transformed the Royal Family

The last season of "The Crown" will examine the aftermath of the beloved royal's death in a car accident in 1997

Diana wore the sweater to a polo match in June 1981.

Found in an Attic, Princess Diana's Iconic 'Black Sheep' Sweater Sells for $1.1 Million

The red jumper’s design came to symbolize the princess' relationship with the royal family

A psalter owned by Henry VIII offers something that fans of the Tudors have craved for centuries: a window into the mind of the tyrannical English ruler.

Henry VIII’s Book of Psalms Reflects His Quest for Legitimacy—and His Fear of Death

Handwritten annotations in the Tudor king's psalter show how he looked to scripture to justify his break from Rome and the annulment of his first marriage

Researchers have recreated what the exiled royal Charles Edward Stuart—better known as Bonnie Prince Charlie—might have looked like at age 24.

See the Face of 24-Year-Old Bonnie Prince Charlie, Recreated Using Death Masks

The new recreation shows what the prince might have looked like during the 1745 Jacobite rising

George Herbert’s pictures aren’t just decorative. They reinforce the meanings of his poems.

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

A lightsheet used to reveal hidden text in a manuscript of William Camden's Annals. New research suggests the author reworked his biography of Elizabeth I to win the favor of her successor, James VI of Scotland and I of England.

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

King Willem-Alexander lays a wreath as part of a ceremony on the Netherlands' National Remembrance Day of Slavery, during which he gave a speech apologizing for the country's involvement in the slave trade.

Dutch King Apologizes for the Netherlands' Role in the Slave Trade

The monarch's statement coincided with the 150th anniversary of slavery's abolition in the country's colonies

Portraits by a young Charles show his mother, Elizabeth II, wearing a striped dress and tiara, and his father, Prince Philip, wearing a dinner suit and bow tie.

See Charles III's Childhood Drawings

Made by a young Charles in the '50s, the crayon and pencil illustrations sold for thousands at auction

Thomas Cromwell, Anne Boleyn and Catherine of Aragon all owned a copy of the same Book of Hours.

Prayer Book Owned by Thomas Cromwell, Adviser to Henry VIII, Was Hidden in Plain Sight for Centuries

The Book of Hours appears in a famous painting of the Tudor statesman

Charles and Camilla with members of the working royal family

See Charles III's Official Coronation Portraits

Hugo Burnand prepared meticulously for his brief photo session following Saturday's ceremony

Titled “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story,” the six-episode limited series stars India Amarteifio as the young queen and Corey Mylchreest as her husband.

The Real History Behind 'Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story'

The new spinoff follows the royal matriarch as she falls in love with George III and navigates his worsening mental illness

Elizabeth II's 1953 coronation portrait

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

The carriage is designed to resemble the one that Charles III will ride in.

You Can Book Uber's Horse-Drawn Carriage Ahead of Charles III’s Coronation

One driver—and a team of four white horses—will be available in the days leading up to the ceremony

English king Edward I stole the stone from Scotland in 1296. Approximately 700 years later, England returned the stone to its home country.

Researchers Find Hidden Markings on the Stone of Destiny, Sacred Slab Used in British Coronations

Ahead of the crowning of Charles III on May 6, experts analyzed the stone with cutting-edge technology

“It could take you a lifetime, or several lifetimes, to learn the history here,” says one member of the abbey staff. Left, the West Towers, completed in 1745.

The Grand History of Westminster Abbey

The church’s many chambers and crypts hold the story of Britain’s past, present and future

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