British History

How accurate is the history in the new Masterpiece drama Atlantic Crossing? Has the true story been sacrificed to create an engaging narrative? And if you're loving the series anyway, does it matter? Let's investigate.

Sanditon is the only novel by Jane Austen to feature a black character. But given the diversity of late Georgian society, wouldn't her contemporary readers have assumed people of color were there anyway?

The real-life story of reckless, tempestuous colonel Edward Despard is woven through much of Poldark Season 5.

But was he a dangerous revolutionary or a flawed idealist? We'll give you the history to decide for yourself. 

What was the real life history behind Cath's story in the emotional Season 8 premiere of Call the Midwife?

The remains of infamous British monarch King Richard III will be reburied in Leicester Cathedral this week – almost three years after they were discovered buried under a car park in Leicester in 2012. The bones were extensively tested and verified via DNA to belong to the King, and will now be ceremonially reburied in the city where his body was returned following his defeat at the Battle of Bosworth Field.

Over 20,000 people visited the cathedral to pay their respects to the last Plantagnet king and view his coffin before its reburial on March 26. In a weird twist that provides further evidence that he really is everywhere, Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch is set to take part in the ceremony by reading a poem specifically written to mark the occasion of King Richard’s reburial by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy.

Rememeber remember the Fifth of November

The Gunpower Treason and plot

I know of no reason the Gunpower Treason

Should ever be forgot.

Nowadays many Americans are more likely to be aware of the Remember, remember the fifth of November rhyme from the Wachowski Brothers’ cult hit V for Vendetta or the flurry of Facebook status updates on the subject in their Newsfeeds once a year, rather than because of actual history, but did you know that there’s an actual British holiday associated with this saying?

London’s East End neighborhood has developed quite a reputation over the years – this area has been famous (infamous?) for everything from being the location of the gruesome Jack the Ripper murders to the setting for the 2012 Summer Olympics. It’s also faced bombings, economic depression and social upheaval for much of its history. In short, it’s one of the most interesting areas in the city from a historical perspective.

And, since this is ostensibly a British entertainment blog, it’s worth mentioning just how many times the East End has shown up as the setting for all sorts of television shows, from the classic Till Death Do Us Part to current hit Call the Midwife. But, fellow Anglophiles, for all the times you’ve probably seen or read about this area, how much do you really know about London's East End? Try your hand at our trivia quiz and find out!