The Last Kingdom. (Carnival Films 2015/Kata Vermes)

The Last Kingdom

Read expert articles on the real history which inspired Bernard Cornwell's novels and the hit series…

King Æthelstan shown in a manuscript dated to before 1399 (Photo by incamerastock/Alamy Stock Photo)

Æthelstan: why is writing a biography of one of England's greatest kings so difficult?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Stained glass in Exeter Cathedral depicting King Æthelstan. (Dreamstime)

The astonishing Æthelstan. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A memorial tomb to King Æthelstan, in Malmesbury Abbey, Wiltshire. (Photo by Geography Photos/UIG via Getty Images)

If King Alfred was great, was Æthelstan even greater?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Ewan Horrocks as Aelfweard and Adrian Schiller as Aethelhelm in The Last Kingdom season 5

Ælfweard and Æthelstan: were they rivals for the throne of Wessex?

Picture of Throrolf slaying Earl Hring

The battle of Brunanburh: the forgotten fight that changed British history

Bamburgh Castle is an imposing coastal fortress in North-East England

General History

Bamburgh Castle: The Real Bebbanburg of The Last Kingdom

A bloodied Uhtred of Bebbanburg in Seven Kings Must Die

Seven Kings Must Die ending explained: what next for England?

Uhtred of Bebbanburg in Seven Kings Must Die

Seven Kings Must Die: the real history behind the Last Kingdom movie

Alexander Dreymon as Uhtred of Bebbanburg in Seven Kings Must Die

Seven Kings Must DieWhat to expect from the Last Kingdom movie

Alexander Dreymon as Uhtred of Bebbanburg in The Last Kingdom season 5

The real Uhtred of BebbanburgThe historical inspirations for The Last Kingdom’s hero

The Last Kingdom season 5 starsAlexander Dreymon as Uhtred of Bebbanburg

The Last Kingdom: real history and historical accuracy

Alfred the Great “managed to ensure history’s enduring affection by making sure that he wrote it himself,” argues Max Adams. (Photo by Granger Historical Picture Archive/Alamy Stock Photo)

Alfred the Great: "He was an excellent king, but that's not the whole story". This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Bernard Cornwell on The Last Kingdom’s finale and the next Sharpe. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Image of a medieval skull showing arrow injury

BlogMedieval(ish) matters #2: arrows in the eye, The Last Kingdom, Viking dogs

Old Norse: Page from the manuscript Codex Regius, which was written in Iceland and contains the poems of elder Edda. (Photo by Werner Forman/Universal Images Group/Getty Images)

BlogMedieval matters #1: The Last Kingdom, Robin Hood and how to learn Old Norse in lockdown

Detail of the carved portal of Hylestad stave church, 12th century. (Photo by Werner Forman/Universal Images Group/Getty Images)

5 forgotten Viking battles that shaped Britain's destiny

Haesten (Jeppe Beck Laursen) in the 'The Last Kingdom'.

The Last Kingdom S4 E9 review: a tense penultimate episode sees the Saxon heart “ripped out”

Alexander Dreymon as Uhtred in season 4 of 'The Last Kingdom'. (Photo by Joe Alblas/Carnival)

The Last Kingdom S4 E10 review: resettled pieces on the board allow drama to “catch up” with history

Millie Brady as Aethelflaed in 'The Last Kingdom'.

The Last Kingdom S4 E8 review: a fiery opening paves the way for a new ruler of Mercia

The Last Kingdom season 4

The Last Kingdom S4 E7 review: a royal funeral, the abuse of power, and a little artistic licence

Oscar Skagerberg as Bjorgulf in 'The Last Kingdom' season 4

The Last Kingdom S4 E5 review: “This has to rank among the more gruesome episodes of the season, if not the series”

Ewan Mitchell as Osferth, Mark Rowley as Finan and Aenas Fedaravicius as Sihtric. (Photo by Adrienn Szabo courtesy of Netflix)

The Last Kingdom S4 E6 review: a mysterious medieval ‘Sickness’ leaves its mark

Timothy Innes as King Edward and Alexander Dreymon as Uhtred

Who were the key players in the struggle to succeed Alfred the Great?

The Last Kingdom series 4

The Last Kingdom S4 E3 review: moments of introspection remind us of history’s “shared humanity”

Magnus Bruun as Cnut in 'The Last Kingdom' season 4

The Last Kingdom S4 E4 review: “Royal rage could be a terrible thing in the early Middle Ages”

'The Last Kingdom' season 4 episode 1

The Last Kingdom S4 E1 review: will Alfred’s legacy come tumbling down?

'The Last Kingdom' season 4

The Last Kingdom S4 E2 review: winds of change and dramatic father-son relations

British author Bernard Cornwell, author of 'The Last Kingdom'

Bernard Cornwell on writing historical fiction and his blockbuster series The Last Kingdom: your questions answered. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Coins depicting Viking longships

A brief history of the Vikings

The truth about Viking berserkers