Whether it is adding contemporary paintings to a gallery of Old Masters or branching out into territories as diverse as Modernist chairs, Iranian tiles or Churchill memorabilia, the passion for collecting seems to run in some families, as Eleanor Doughty discovers

The Story of Tudor Art: A History of Tudor ...

This month, celebrate the change in season with countryside-inspired homeware designs, learn the art of still-life oil painting and decorate with classic stripes

Exhibition: Family Treasures at Blenheim Palace The seat ...

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

The summer has seen the publication of a wealth of new architectural books. John Goodall offers a round-up of some recent titles that have caught his eye