Anne of cleves

In July 1575, Robert Dudley enlisted mythological figures to convince Elizabeth I to wed him. Exactly 450 years later, artist Lindsey Mendick reveals how and why she reinterpreted their encounter in her installation for Kenilworth Castle

Shortly after the queen rose on 10 June 1688, she felt a familiar swell of pain. “Send for the king!” she called, while her ladies helped her back into bed. Maria (Mary) of Modena was in labour. Soon

How an upstart noble family emerged from the Wars of the Roses to rule England

Battle royal: the British novelist tells us how she overcame setbacks

In her latest novel, Sarah Dunant explores the life of Italian aristocrat Isabella d’Este, the archetypal Renaissance woman

Queen Camilla isn’t the only one who’s had to deal with scandalous relationships, as her great-aunt had one of her own…