France

Angevin family tree showing Henry II and his children. From left: William, Henry, Richard, Matilda, Geoffrey, Eleanor, Joan and John.

How Henry II Survived the Great Rebellion

In 1173 the Angevin empire looked set to fall, facing rebellion on all sides. Against incredible odds Henry II won a decisive victory, silencing kings, lords – and his own children.

An illustration of the Dendera Zodiac on the ceiling of the Grand Temple at Dendera, Egypt, c.1826. From Descriptions of Egypt by Jean-Baptiste Prosper Jollois and Édouard de Villiers du Terrage.

Signs of the Zodiac: The Dendera Dating Controversy

How ancient was ancient Egypt? How old is the world? And what happens when archaeology contradicts the Bible? When the Dendera Zodiac arrived in Paris, these questions exploded into the public sphere.

Photogravure plate after painting by Neuville, 1882; group of 8 French soldiers relaxing in building yard during the Franco-Prussian War, one playing piano.

‘Bismarck’s War’ by Rachel Chrastil review

Bismarck’s War: The Franco-Prussian War and the Making of Modern Europe by Rachel Chrastil argues that German victory was a catastrophe for Germany and the world.

Shake up: Orangina bottles, 1993. Getty Images

Pulp Fiction

Marketed as the taste of French summer, Orangina’s origins are complicated.

Image from Ravachol’s anthropometric file, 1892

How to Make a Devil

The legend of Ravachol, the terrorist ‘mastermind’ of the fin de siècle.

Designs by Antonin Carême, engraving, 19th century.

Birth of a Pastry Chef

Born into poverty on 8 June 1783, Antonin Carême’s spectacular confectionary constructions made him patissier to royalty.

An examination of an apothecary, French, early 18th century.

The Water of Life

Paris was flooded with Eau de Cologne during the early years of Napoleon’s rule. Everyone was using it and everyone was selling it.

Jean Calas with his family ahead of his execution, French coloured engraving, 18th century.

A Test Case for Tolerance

Jean Calas was sentenced to be broken on the wheel in front of the cathedral in Toulouse, on 10 March 1762.

Heirs and Spares

It was not easy to be the second son. The younger brothers of the French kings could choose either to rebel or reconcile, but neither option was straightforward.

Louis IX carrying the Sceptre and the Hand of Justice, from Registre des Ordonnances de L’Hotel du Roi, c.1320.

We are Family

From alliances, to open warfare; from tense meetings on bridges, to collective mourning at family funerals: French and English royalty were united by marriage and divided by war.