A cut-crystal bed, with associated mirrors and throne, sparkled at auction earlier this month, but no glamour could beat the prize that was the Union Flag flown by HMS Spartiate at the Battle of Trafalgar

There can’t be many shops that have received the distinction of being commemorated by the Royal Mint striking a coin in its honour. Not just any coin, but a £5 model, either in plain gold at £3,965, o

The piece I’d never part with

The fate of an Elizabethan hoard

Graceful and practical in equal measure, the parasol has a long and colourful history when it comes to creating shade. Deborah Nicholls-Lee takes cover

How India, and a literary socialite, inspired Cartier’s most vibrant creation