Painting of Louis VIII and Blanche of Castille

Kings and queens

Philip II, king of Spain from 1556, seated with Queen Mary I of England. They married in 1554

When Mary met Philip: a Tudor queen in love

A cartoon of Queen Elizabeth I

General History

QuizMonarchy: from William the Conqueror to the Windsors

Mary Stuart, shown here in a painting after Nicholas Hilliard, might have been a good queen, says Kate Williams, but the odds were stacked against her. (Image by Superstock)

Who betrayed Mary, Queen Of Scots?

An oil on panel portrait of Elizabeth Woodville

Elizabeth Woodville: Edward IV’s controversial queen consort

A replica of St Edward’s Crown, used in the coronation of British rulers since 1661

General History

Who is Britain’s greatest monarch?

Emerald Fennell plays Camilla Parker Bowles (then Shand) in 'The Crown'

In profile: Queen Consort Camilla

Charles and Camilla, 1979

Charles and CamillaA history of their romance

Painting of Bonnie Prince Charlie

Bonnie Prince Charlie: Scottish superhero or Italian coward?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Portrait showing Mary, Queen of Scots with her hand on her hip

Mary, Queen of Scots: your guide to her life and times

Queen Victoria’s spy network. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Queen Victoria in 1861

Queen of spies? Inside Queen Victoria’s secret intelligence network. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Illustration of King Louis IX.

A king of fire and light: Louis IX's tangled legacy. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A portrait of Elizabeth Stuart, painted during the reign of Charles I

Elizabeth Stuart: the treasonous portrait that touted Charles I's sister for the throne. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

King George II of Great Britain

George II: 8 facts about the British king and German elector

Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in mounted combat

Richard the Lionheart: king of war. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Part ten in our 20-part series looking at decisive moments of the last 1,000 years in British history explores 1450–1499

Turning points1483: Richard grabs the throne. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Part six in our 20-part series looking at decisive moments of the last 1,000 years in British history explores 1200–1249

Turning points1295: Edward I consolidates English rule. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Part five in our 20-part series looking at decisive moments of the last 1,000 years in British history explores 1250–1299

Turning points1215: Magna Carta. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Part four in our 20-part series looking at decisive moments of the last 1,000 years in British history explores 1150–1199

Turning points1171: The English invasion of Ireland. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Part three in our 20-part series looking at decisive moments of the last 1,000 years in British history explores 1100–1149

Turning points1141: Stephen v Matilda. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Part two in our 20-part series looking at decisive moments of the last 1,000 years in British history explores 1050–1099

Turning points1066: The year of four kings. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Part one in our 20-part series looking at decisive moments of the last 1,000 years in British history explores 1000–1049

Turning points1016: The Danish conquest of England. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

William the Conqueror was the second king of England to be crowned in 1066

The coronation of William of Normandy on Christmas Day in 1066

HistoryExtra Masterclass: Tudor Royal Women with Tracy Borman

Tudor Royal Women with Tracy BormanThe Private Life of Elizabeth I. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A 13th-century fresco showing Isabella of Angouleme, Eleanor of Aquitaine and two squires

Eleanor of Aquitaine: the worst royal mother-in-law?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A portrait of Russian empress Catherine the Great

Hypocrite, reactionary, usurper, sex maniac: is Catherine the Great's reputation justified?

George V: not so dull after all. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Charles and Diana on honeymoon in Balmoral

Diana: the rebel princess. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Side-by-side portraits of Henry VIII's first two wives, Anne Boleyn and Catherine of Aragon.

Do we have to be ‘Team Catherine’ or ‘Team Anne’ when it comes to Henry VIII’s wives?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Alfred the Great (849–899). (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Who was King Alfred the Great?