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The Battle of Bunker Hill

From Scots Highlanders to German soldiers: the Europeans who fought on both sides of the War of American Independence

An Art Deco mechanical valentine (moving the cape causes the arms to move up and down) from the 1930s. (Photo by Alan Mays)

‘Vinegar Valentines’: 9 surprisingly dark Valentine’s Day cards from the past

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Prime Minister Harold Macmillan at Admiralty House, London

History hero Michael Heseltine chooses Harold Macmillan (1894–1986) . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Queen Victoria refused to wear her crimson velvet robes of state for her wedding to Albert. Instead, she opted for a dress of pure white and “simple magnificence”. (Photo by Rischgitz/Getty Images)

“Nothing could have gone off better”: the wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert

'The Young Victoria' follows the early relationship of Victoria and her beloved Prince Albert. The monarch was played by Emily Blunt in the 2009 film. (Images by Bettmann/Getty Images/Alamy)

Leading ladies in love: 6 historical movies to watch this Valentine’s Day

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Confronting evils.

Confronting evils . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Bottle of 'love potion'

General ancient history

Spanish fly, holy bread and mashed worms: history’s weirdest aphrodisiacs and love potions

Charles Manson stares out from fabric on sale in San Francisco

The afterlife of Charles Manson

During his time in Oxford, Wilde fully embraced ‘aesthetic flair’: growing his hair long; dressing in flamboyant fashions and assuming exaggerated affectations. (Photo by Universal History Archive/Getty Images)

7 facts you (probably) didn’t know about Oscar Wilde

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Portrait of Marie-Antoinette with the rose, 1783, by Vigée-Le Brun. (Photo by Alamy)

Marie Antoinette . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

The Battle of Lepanto between Holy League soldiers and Ottoman troops

The battle of Lepanto: when Ottoman forces clashed with Christians

Henrietta Boyle

Fashion history: dressing to impress in the 17th century

A replica of the Koh-i-Noor in Bangalore in 2002

Desired, stolen, cursed: the history of the Koh-i-Noor diamond

A bust of Charlemagne

Charlemagne: creating the myth

The execution of Charles I in 1649.

To kill a king: 350 years of regicide