Alfred the Great, King of Wessex, a defender against Viking invasion and a social reformer; just few of the reasons why he is the only English monarch to be known as “the Great”. Alfred was born in ...

In today’s society, we take pride in our presentation; the way we look, dress, and comb our hair are all intrinsically linked to beauty standards and social norms. “Pretty privilege,” a theory that ...

From museum exhibitions, academic literature and even West End musicals, the six wives of Henry VIII have remained strong figures in the public imagination. Yet how much about them do we really know?

On a stormy night in February 1919, young Jock Forbes and his father were returning in their pony cart from Inverness. Nearing the hamlet of Inverfarigaig their pony suddenly started and backed away.

Queen Victoria had a majestic sixty-three-year reign but despite this, she was not universally loved. While some people protested against her, others had a slightly more radical method. From Edward ...

Bouts of childhood illness in our house were improved by one sparkling remedy: Lucozade! Inspired by fellow HUK author Terry MacEwen’s article on IRN-BRU (made in Scotland from girders!), turning the ...

The chimney sweep, or climbing boys as they were often called, was a harsh profession to be in and most likely one that would severely cut your life short. Those employed were often orphans or from ...

On 18th June 1815, in what was arguably one of the most significant and memorable battles of its era, the Battle of Waterloo brought an end to Napoleon’s power-hungry ambitions for Europe, severing ...

St Dunstan was a prominent English religious figure during the Anglo-Saxon period and became a significant advisor to many of the kings of Wessex, helping to initiate monastic reforms and influence ...

“The unweary, unostentatious, and inglorious crusade of England against slavery may probably be regarded as among the three or four perfectly virtuous pages comprised in the history of nations.” ...

There have always been fashion ‘tribes’, from fops and beaux, bucks and dandies to Goths and punks, but the ‘macaronis’ of the 1760s and 1770s exceeded them all in their dedication to excess and ...

“Can you see anything?” “Yes, wonderful things!” These are the famous words of Howard Carter at the moment when he discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings. On 26th November 1922, the ...