Marc Morris

Alfred the Great’s statue in Wantage, by Count Gleichen, 1877.

How Great was Alfred?

In uniting the peoples of Wessex and Mercia, the celebrated king left an ideological legacy of lasting importance.

Window depicting Edward the Confessor, Canterbury Cathedral, 15th century © Bridgeman Images.

Royal Disappointment

Stripping Edward the Confessor of his independence.

Duke William and his two half-brothers: to his right, Bishop Odo of Bayeux and to his left, Count Robert of Mortain, on the Bayeux Tapestry. Myrabella (CC0 1.0).

Reassessing William the Conqueror

In the popular imagination, William the Conqueror is, without doubt, the villain, yet the sources we have for his life are ambivalent.

The ruin of Corfe Castle in Dorset by Joseph Nash, 1862. Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection. Public Domain.

Starved to Death by King John

One of King John's most detestable crimes – the starving to death of 22 knights at Corfe Castle – has been surprisingly overlooked by historians.

Rochester 1215, illustration by John Cann. Courtesy of Medway Council

The struggle between King John and his barons turned into open warfare at Rochester Castle in 1215. Yet the story of how the fortress came to be besieged has not been fully understood, says Marc Morris.

King John: Still England's Greatest Villain

Will England's most reviled king get the Thomas Cromwell treatment? It doesn't seem likely.

Game of Thrones, the Norman Conquest and Political Violence

The violence and gore in the hit TV series simply reflect the bloodiness of the Middle Ages, right? Not necessarily, says Marc Morris.

Memory and Myths of the Norman Conquest

Men mowing and turning grass and making haystacks, c. 1180. Koninklijke Bibliotheek. Public Domain.

Normans and Slavery: Breaking the Bonds

Whilst many Anglo-Saxons suffered under the Norman yoke, the Conquest came with the promise of freedom for England’s slaves.

St George fighting the dragon, by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1872. Birmingham Museums Trust/Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. Public Domain.

Slaying Myths: England and St George

St George only gained popularity in England in the 15th century, and Richard the Lionheart had nothing to do with his adoption as the nation’s patron saint.