Painting of Louis VIII and Blanche of Castille

Kings and queens

Elizabeth I of England

Personal politics in Elizabeth I's court. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A marble bust of the Emperor Hadrian who ruled from AD 117 to 138

Hadrian's travels. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A portrait of Catherine Howard. (Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

Catherine Howard: The death of innocence. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Charles II entering London in May 1660 following the restoration of the monarchy. (Photo by Photo12/UIG via Getty Images)

Clare Jackson"Charles II had to appeal to public opinion more than his predecessors did". This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Charles II and an Atlantic experiment. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

The Dissolution and a forgotten colony. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Joan of Kent. (Image by Getty)

Joan of Kent: a perfect princess?

View of an Ancient Eyptian burial chamber

Q&AWhen was the first strike?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Muslims and Jews in the 16th century. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh wave from the famous balcony at Buckingham Palace after the Queen's coronation on 2 June 1953. (Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)

7 memorable moments in the history of Buckingham Palace

The Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. (Photo by Thomas Coex/AFP/Getty Images)

Q&AHow much did it cost to build Versailles?

Britain's 10 best palaces

An illustration of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Not such a prude after all: the secrets of Henry VIII’s love life

The battle over Henry VIII’s will. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Chess, gambling and cards: Tudor games and indoor pastimes. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

The amazing history of Egypt. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

KRISTOFER HIVJU GAME OF THRONES

Game of Thrones: medieval inspiration. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

5 festive facts from BBC Two’s QI

Sex, scandals and betrayals: Charles II and his court

A history of red hair and amazing animals. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Who hijacked Henry VIII’s will?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

5 surprising Tudor facts. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Lady Margaret Douglas, a close relative of Henry VIII. Her romantic liaisons landed her in the Tower of London on more than one occasion. (Photo by Florilegius/SSPL/Getty Images)

Margaret Douglas: The forgotten Tudor princess. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Gebelein Man

The big questions of ancient Egypt

Was Henry VIII a good king?

First World War

Life of the Week: Kaiser Wilhelm II

Richard III: A hostage to fortune. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A 1985 production of 'Julius Caesar'. For all their despotism, Romans thanked their first three emperors for delivering them from the curse of civil war. (Photo by Jean-Jacques BERNIER/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

The glorious Caesars. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Tixall Gatehouse, Staffordshire. (Photo by The Landmark Trust)

10 of Britain’s most amazing landmark buildings. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Queen Elizabeth II

How to be a successful monarch. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.