England

An illustration depicting the Great Fire of London.

Your guide to the Great Fire of London, plus 10 surprising facts

A composite image of Elizabeth I, Mary I and Elizabeth of York

How Elizabeth of York paved the way for her granddaughters to rule

Dakota Johnson stars as Anne Elliot in Netflix's 2022 adaptation of Persuasion, the final completed novel by Jane Austen

Persuasion “The essence and spirit of Austen’s work are fundamentally changed”

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The origins of the Conservative Party can be traced to the ‘Tory’ group in parliament which emerged in the last quarter of the 17th century and, led by Lord Bolingbroke (pictured) and Robert Harley, held power during the final years of Queen Anne’s reign. (Photo by Culture Club/Getty Images)

Why are they called Tories? A brief history of the Conservative Party . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A portrait of King Henry VIII

Henry VIII The life and rule of the Tudor king, plus 5 surprising facts

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Pod Catherine Hanley WL

Royal rivals? Medieval England and France’s tempestuous relationship . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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A Maria Spilsbury painting of a group sat at a drawing room table

Regency romance and a real-life Anne Elliot . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Pod Oskar Jensen WL

On the streets of 19th-century London . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A man walking past a pile of uncollected rubbish during the Winter of Discontent, 22 September 1978

Q&A What was the Winter of Discontent?

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An overturned vehicle on tramlines as a blockage to traffic during the General Strike of 1926

A brief history of strike action . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Tudors play real tennis, a precursor to the modern game of tennis

Q&A What was Real Tennis?

An angry crowd of around 400 miners blockade National Coal Board boss Ian McGregor inside a colliery office at Ellinton Colliery, 22 February 1984

Your guide to the miners’ strike of 1984–85

Closeup of Henry VIII's face

The slow death of Henry VIII

Princess Elizabeth and Thomas Seymour (Photos by Getty and Alamy)

Did Thomas Seymour sexually abuse the teenage Princess Elizabeth?

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Elizabeth Gaskell – “Mrs Gaskell” – was instrumental in bringing the unpleasant implications of industrialisation to the public conscious. (Photo by Getty Images)

Elizabeth Gaskell: a voice of the Victorians . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.