Kings and queens

Portrait of John of Gaunt

John of Gaunt: father of England’s medieval monarchy and self-styled Spanish king

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Cleopatra bust. (Photo by Getty Images)

Cleopatra: unpicking myth from reality . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Our illustration shows Thomas Boleyn, whose flair for diplomacy and mastery of languages made him one of Henry VIII's most trusted ambassadors. (Illustration by Sean McSorley)

Thomas Boleyn: why Anne Boleyn’s father was more than a grasping courtier

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Newark Castle flanked by the river Trent. To say that King John's death here in 1216 was little-lamented is something of an understatement.

King John and the French invasion . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Battle of Barnet: This lively, if inaccurate, 15th- century illustration of the shows a coronet- wearing Edward skewering Warwick with his lance

The battle of Barnet, 1471: the Wars of the Roses clash that killed the Kingmaker

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Nicola Tallis responds to listener questions about the Elizabethans, from the religious rifts of the era to the fate of Queen Elizabeth I’s royal jewels. (Image by Getty Images)

The Elizabethans: everything you wanted to know . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Portrait of Richard III of England (1452-1485) King of England until his death in the Battle of Bosworth Field. Dated 15th Century (Photo by: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Richard III: your guide to the last Yorkist king of England

The 'Alexander Mosaic' showing Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great: all you need to know about the empire builder and military genius

A portrait of Marie Antoinette

Q&A Did Marie Antoinette really say “let them eat cake”?

A medieval illustration of women fighting and toiling alongside men during a siege

Crusader queens: the formidable female rulers of Jerusalem

Josephine Baker with her adopted children. She called them the ‘Rainbow Tribe’. (Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)

Memorable mothers: history’s most remarkable mums

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Shushma Malik discusses some of the most admired and reviled Roman emperors, and considers whether the legends surrounding them stand up to scrutiny. (Image by Getty Images)

The Roman emperors: everything you wanted to know . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Henry the Young King is crowned in 1170. (Wikimedia Commons)

The real King Arthur and his Lancelot? Henry the Young King’s remarkable friendship with William Marshal

Prince Arthur and Catherine of Aragon

Prince Arthur, Catherine of Aragon, and Henry VIII: a story of early Tudor triumph and tragedy

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Egyptologist Aidan Dodson explores the life, death and afterlife of ancient Egypt’s sun queen. (Image by Getty Images)

Nefertiti: wife, mother, pharaoh . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.