Bess of hardwick: rival of the virgin queen

Richmond Palace, 22 March 1603. Elizabeth I – the self-proclaimed Virgin Queen who had ruled England for 44 years, seeing off the Armada, healing religious divisions and creating a court so magnificen

Home to a marquess and an RAF air crew – and believed to be the birthplace of a Queen – this red-brick Jacobean mansion contains stories spanning centuries

They were sisters by blood – but a cruel betrayal would part them forever

Does a newly found Nicholas Hilliard miniature portray Shakespeare’s patron the Earl of Southampton?

Heirs and Graces: A History of the Modern ...

Discover how the UK’s country houses defied the odds to survive as historic monuments and cultural centres