George R.R. Martin has defended the use of sexual violence in his Song of Ice and Fire books, and the show Game of Thrones, as being “historically accurate.” But is it?
How “historically accurate” is sexual violence anyway?
There’s something about Mary, Queen of Scots
Curious about the historical woman who inspired the upcoming Saoirse Ronan/Margot Robbie film? Here’s the scoop on the ongoing appeal of this doomed Queen's story.
Queen Elizabeth I: Part Two: Gloriana
Queen Elizabeth I found a way to command respect as monarch in a time of widespread misogyny by skilfully portraying herself as more goddess than woman.
Queen Elizabeth I: Part One: Redheaded Stepchild
How circumstance, luck, and fate wound up giving England one of the country's greatest monarchs in the form of an unusually resilient young redheaded woman.
Queen Mary I: Part Two: The Reign of Bloody Mary
Queen Mary I broke new ground as the first officially recognized female monarch of England. But her short reign is best remembered for bloodshed, tragedy, and her personal problems.
Queen Mary I: Part One: Her Mother’s Daughter
Before she was Bloody Mary, she was Queen Mary. And before that, she was Lady Mary. Before that she was Princess Mary, a young girl who had yet to learn just how terrible her father was.
Kathryn Parr: Professional Widow
Kathryn Parr lived through the lives and deaths of Henry VIII's previous five wives, which is likely how she learned to survive him.
Of monsters and female rage: an analysis of ‘Brotherhood of the Wolf’
The women in the 2001 French film Brotherhood of the Wolf each choose a different way to survive, offering them the mistaken impression they’re in control of their own lives.
Catherine Howard: The Doomed, Damaged Child Bride
Catherine Howard was elevated from obscurity, burned fire bright, and died for it.
Anne of Cleves: The One That Got Away
Anne of Cleves was out of her depth at English court, but wound up living longer and happier than any of Henry's other wives.