British History

The London Fire Brigade responded to a blaze that began on Somerset House's roof.

Firefighters Extinguish Blaze at London's Somerset House

The palatial complex's historic artworks sustained no damage from the fire that broke out on August 17

The colorful mosaic depicts brightly colored dolphins and fish.

Archaeologists Stumble Upon a 2,000-Year-Old Dolphin Mosaic in England

The Roman-era artwork was likely preserved thanks to a remodeling project in the third or fourth century C.E.

Andreane Rellou is an actor and filmmaker who saw the photos at the museum and took it upon herself to identify the two women.

Amateur Sleuth Identifies the Mystery Women in a Museum's Fabergé Frames

The portraits were on display at a museum in England, where staffers had been wondering about the two subjects for years

The Altar Stone lies at the center of the prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England.

Stonehenge's Massive Central Stone May Have Been Shipped From Hundreds of Miles Away

Researchers think they've solved the mystery of the monument's Altar Stone, which could have traveled all the way from Scotland

The Tower of London has loomed over the city since the 11th century.

Will the Tower of London Lose Its UNESCO World Heritage Status?

The United Nations agency is worried about high-rise developments near the famed 11th-century fortress

This portrait of Henry VIII was one of 22 in a set commissioned by Ralph Sheldon in the late 16th century.

Art Historian Discovers Long-Lost Portrait of Henry VIII in Background of Social Media Post

Commissioned by a wealthy tapestry maker in the 1590s, the Tudor king's likeness features a distinctive frame with a rounded top

The Dolphin Hotel is a historic structure dating in Southampton, England.

Inside the Controversial Plan to Turn a Hotel Where Jane Austen Attended Balls Into Student Dorms

Devoted readers are worried about the fate of the historic Dolphin Hotel in southern England

The artifact had been on view at a table inside the British Museum in London.

This Art Student Stole a Coin From the British Museum—and Dropped It in the Donation Box

Ilê Sartuzi briefly pocketed a 17th-century coin to make a statement about looted artifacts held by the museum

The Wentworth brothers campaigned ceaselessly for the liberty of free speech in the House of Commons. They were driven by the ongoing succession crisis, which they felt Elizabeth was ignoring, placing England in danger of civil war or foreign invasion.

The Brothers Who Asserted Their Right to Free Speech in Tudor England

Peter and Paul Wentworth called on Elizabeth I to name an heir to the throne, wielding Parliament's free speech privileges to urge the queen to take action

The five musket balls were found near the Concord River in Massachusetts, just under 20 miles northwest of Boston.

Musket Balls Fired in Early Revolutionary War Battle Unearthed in Concord

Colonial militiamen fired the lead balls on April 19, 1775—and likely missed their mark

The peacock mural in James McNeill Whistler's Peacock Room, as seen in the 2022 exhibition “The Peacock Room Comes to America”

How Golden Peacocks on a Dining Room Wall Destroyed a Longstanding Friendship in Victorian Society

Paintings, sketches and correspondence shed light on the drama surrounding the famed “Peacock Room”

Preteen and teenage schoolgirls made these tiny paper cuttings in the 17th century.

Paper Cuttings Made by 17th-Century Schoolgirls Discovered Beneath Floorboards

The fragile cutouts are going on display at Sutton House in London, which was once a boarding school for girls

Riviera Coast Scene, Winston Churchill, circa 1935

Check Out Ten Never-Before-Seen Paintings by Winston Churchill

The former British prime minister was an avid painter who sometimes gifted his works to other world leaders

Victoria created this 1833 ink sketch when she was 14 years old. It's inscribed, "original sketch by the Royal Highness the Princess Victoria.

You Can Buy Four Drawings by a Young Queen Victoria

The sketches, which are heading to auction this week, showcase the teenage royal's devotion to the arts

An 18th-century illustration of a jury of matrons

How All-Female 'Juries of Matrons' Shaped Legal History

Courts called on these jurors to determine whether women sentenced to death were pregnant or faking it to avoid execution

The remains of the Bronze Age roundhouse are located in a park in Cardiff, the capital of Wales.

An Excavation in Wales Paints a Picture of Home Life 3,500 Years Ago

Archaeologists have enlisted volunteers to dig up the remains of a Bronze Age roundhouse found beneath a park

Last May, the team uncovered a telltale sign of the long-lost palace: the base of a centuries-old wall and a foundation.

Amateur Historians Unearth a Long-Lost Tudor Palace Visited by Henry VIII and Elizabeth I

Locals had long shared stories of Collyweston Palace. Then, excavations in England's Midlands revealed traces of the fabled estate

The rare bust of Caligula is only five inches tall.

Curator Uncovers Lost Roman-Era Bust of the Emperor Caligula

The small bronze statue, which was unearthed at Herculaneum, had been missing for two centuries

Just Stop Oil protesters Rajan Naidu, 73, and Niamh Lynch, 21, sit in front of Stonehenge after covering the monument in orange powder.

Climate Activists Spray Stonehenge With Orange Paint

Protesters with Just Stop Oil are demanding that the British government phase out fossil fuels by 2030

Alicia Vikander portrays Henry VIII's sixth wife, Catherine Parr, in the new film Firebrand.

The Real Story Behind 'Firebrand' and Henry VIII's Tumultuous Relationship With His Sixth Wife, Catherine Parr

A new film dramatizes how the Tudor queen narrowly avoided execution on charges of heresy

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