Introducing History's Greatest Scandals: The ...

Divorce cases can be messy. But the epic court battle between Caroline and George Norton in 1836 took things to the next level, with salacious accusations of adultery with none other than the prime minister. In this first series of History’s Greatest Scandals, Professor Rosalind ...  Show more

On the day before Halloween in 1858, residents of Bradford flocked to the local market’s sweet stall of to get their hands on Humbug Billy’s peppermint lozenges. But before long, it became clear that something was very wrong with these sweets... In this first series of History’s ...  Show more

The tragic fate of Cleopatra has long overshadowed her predecessor, Ptolemy XII. But, as this Long Read written by Diana T Nikolova explains, it’s impossible to understand the daughter’s downfall without exploring the father’s hapless reign. HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you th ...  Show more

There have long been whispers of a romance between Queen Victoria and her Scottish servant John Brown, but nothing concrete to support them. This Long Read – written by historian Dr Fern Riddell, author of an explosive new book on the subject – reveals how she turned sleuth to tr ...  Show more

Recently, we marked the 400th anniversary of the publication of the First Folio, a collection of plays by William Shakespeare. To celebrate this landmark in literary history, in today's Long Read, eight historical experts offer their takes on what the Bard's plays reveal about en ...  Show more

The later Tudor years were a time of turmoil, political intrigue, and national transformation. Initially defined by crises of succession, and shifts in the religious landscape, the period went on to see the reign of some of the most famous royal women in history. And, under the 4 ...  Show more