“there was a general perception that queen victoria’s mourning was neither normal nor acceptable”

Our bodies are vessels for life, but in death they undergo a cascade of chemical and biological changes

I n 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. That, at least, is what the famous rhyme tells us. Memorising such dates is a common experience of being taught history – a cliché superbly lampooned by the w

Edward VII swept away the cobwebs of mid-Victorian style, Queen Mary had passion for all things small and the Queen Mother bought rather avant-garde art. In a forthcoming talk, Tim Knox, director of the Royal Collection, charts a century of regal taste

Boris Becker on life in jail When Boris ...

This World Mental Health Day (10 October), take a moment to reflect on the experiences of our ancestors who were mentally ill. How were they looked after, and where? Before the mid-18th century, the U

“I hope you don’t f***ing drop me. The way they’re carrying me, you’d think I’d died of f***ing lead poisoning.” Funerals are never an easy experience, and can be made considerably harder when the dec