Henry the Young King is Crowned
On 14 June 1170 Henry II crowned his successor. Rather than secure the Angevin realm, it set the stage for rebellion.
France
Getting European Defence Projects off the Ground
In the 1960s Anglo-French efforts to collaborate on a new combat aircraft – the BAC/Dassault AFVG – hit turbulence.
The Affair of the Diamond Necklace
On 31 May 1786 Paris relished the humiliation of Marie Antoinette as the Affaire du collier de la reine concluded in court.
Saving the Forests of Revolutionary France
Forestry is a delicate balancing act between the needs of the present and those of the future. The French Revolution brought into question how France’s forests should be managed.
‘Huguenot Networks’ by Penny Roberts review
Huguenot Networks: Truth and Secrecy in Sixteenth-Century Europe by Penny Roberts reveals the clandestine cross-border contacts of Huguenot spies, diplomats, and scholars.
Mourning the White Ship
The sinking of the White Ship was a disaster for England’s King Henry I, but it was also felt deeply by his subjects.
The Rif War
As Spain and France moved into Morocco, the people of the Rif Mountains united to form a new state. For five years they fought one of the most successful wars of resistance in imperial history.
The Trials of Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc was put on trial twice, once before and once after her death. The records made at these trials are often used as evidence of Joan’s own words – but whose voice was really recorded?
‘The Queenship of Mathilda of Flanders’ by Laura L. Gathagan review
The Queenship of Mathilda of Flanders, c.1031-1083: Embodying Conquest by Laura L. Gathagan traces the material legacy of the Conqueror’s consort.
The Death of Charles the Bad
On 1 January 1387 Charles II, the medieval king of Navarre, died as he had lived – with great violence.