Illustration of a couple

Sex and love

Architectural reconstruction illustration of the grand Temple of Artemis at Ephesus with imposing marble columns, sculptured pediment, steps, and small figures gathered in the courtyard

Ancient Greece

It was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World – so why was it destroyed three times?

Later artistic depiction of Alexander the Great wearing a plumed helmet and blue cloak, presented as a youthful military conqueror.

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Was Alexander the Great addicted to sex? The truth about the conqueror's love life. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sit together in an open carriage, smiling and waving to crowds following their wedding at Windsor Castle in May 2018. Harry wears military uniform, while Meghan wears a white wedding dress and veil.

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From Nell Gwyn to Meghan Markle: 9 romances between actors and royals. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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How the Americas transformed Tudor England. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Have we got ancient women's sexuality all wrong?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Portrait of George III wearing a blue suit beneath an ermine-trimmed royal robe, with a crown visible beside him.

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Hot sex and cold jelly: how a wobbly dessert ignited Georgian bedrooms. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A stylised illustration of two figures in historical clothing set against a patterned purple background. One sits on a wooden chair, wearing a long robe and tall hat, holding a flask in one hand and pointing with the other. The other stands with hands on hips, dressed in an ornate gown with a crown‑like headpiece.

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Sex and the Stuarts: inside 17th-century London's most notorious brothel. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

An illustration of a fashionable gentleman from the reign of George III standing on a country path. He wears a long red coat, tan breeches, polished black riding boots, a black hat and a white cravat, with one hand in his pocket and a walking cane in the other.

Georgian

Instead of marrying their lovers, these men adopted them. Can you guess why?

Two elderly women stand outdoors beside a small dog, both wearing long black riding habits and tall black top hats. One faces slightly toward her companion while the other looks ahead. The image is a nineteenth-century illustration of Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby, known as the Ladies of Llangollen.

Georgian

Friends or lovers? Either way, the Ladies of Llangollen fascinated Georgian society

A digitally composed collage shows three men against a dense background of green roses, with a heart‑shaped cluster of pink roses in the centre. In the middle stands a blue‑tinted figure dressed in early 19th‑century clothing: a brown coat, white trousers, and boots, holding a hat at his side. On the left is a mid‑20th‑century man with light hair, wearing a beige shirt and holding a cigarette in his mouth. On the right is a stylised portrait of a man with curly hair, wearing a white shirt and brown jacket, resting his chin on his hand. The three figures come from different eras and artistic styles, arranged closely together against the floral backdrop.

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Love affairs, screaming fans and tragic deaths: inside the lives of history’s biggest heartthrobs. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A black‑and‑white photograph of early LGBTQ+ activists standing on a city street in front of a large banner reading “GAY PRIDE” with a white triangle symbol beneath it. Several people face the camera, some holding newspapers or pamphlets. One person holds a sign that says “MARY WHITEHOUSE? HANDS OFF GAY NEWS BUY ONE TODAY.” Tall buildings line the street behind them.

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This sex poem sparked outrage in 1970s Britain – but who triumphed in the courtroom?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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The hidden history of female sexual pleasure. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A series of the same image of a woman wearing a white dress layered over each other, against a blue background

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Marilyn Monroe at 100: why the blonde bombshell was so much more than a sex symbol. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Episode 2“I am to flirt my last”: Jane Austen’s twenties. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A collage combining a suited person holding a briefcase and hat with a painted scene of a large hall filled with seated figures in white garments, and a smaller black‑and‑white photograph of two people inside a car layered below.

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The ultimate Cold War sex scandal – and 11 other political outrages from British history. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A colourful surreal collage set against a purple background. It features a large green alligator head on the left, a honey dipper dripping honey, a sliced lemon, a classical-style illustration of a person drinking from a jug, a small brown‑and‑white weasel, a long piale pink condom, and reddish‑brown pods with bright red and black seeds

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14 weird contraception methods from history: from weasel testicles to fish bladder condoms. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A person with long, wavy light‑brown hair adorned with small pearls poses with one arm bent and resting against their face. They wear a pearl necklace and a teardrop pearl earring, shown against a dark background.

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England's mistress: how Nell Gwyn won the heart of Charles II – and became a political powerhouse. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A collage of Tudor figures. Each square shows a different monarch or noble figure in 16th‑ or early‑17th‑century dress, including ruffs, jewelled headpieces, and richly decorated garments. Recognisable figures such as Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Mary I, Elizabeth I, and James I appear among the portraits. The grid highlights variations in artistic style, clothing, and facial depiction across the period.

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Think you know everything about the Tudors? Here are 15 facts that will prove you wrong. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A group of children in early‑20th‑century clothing gather on a dirt street in a working‑class neighbourhood. Several of the children are outlined in purple against the monochrome scene.

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The Victorians were facing a population crisis, until this ‘obscene’ invention turned out to be the solution. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A detailed engraving shows William Shakespeare with wavy shoulder‑length hair, a mustache and trimmed beard, and an earring in his left ear. He wears a collared shirt and a textured doublet with decorative trim, set against a softly shaded background.

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"Let the sky rain potatoes!": the hidden meanings behind Shakespeare's food obsession. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A detailed Persian miniature painting showing a central figure seated on a raised platform beneath a decorated canopy, surrounded by a halo of flames. Attendants and courtiers in colourful robes and turbans sit or stand around them, with trays of food, vessels, and fans arranged in the scene. Stylized hills, flowers, and animals fill the background, all rendered in intricate patterns and bright colours.

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12 modern trends with surprisingly ancient roots. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A seated person wearing an elaborate costume poses with one hand resting on their face. They wear a large, ornate headdress with wing‑like extensions and pearls, and a richly decorated outfit with detailed embroidery and an eagle motif on the chest.

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"It wasn't very open about its queer connections": the hidden history of the National Trust. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A coloured engraving showing a large group queuing up to go into a dance ball. Each couple is holding hands, and the men are wearing high necked suits and the women are in long colourful gowns

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Lonely hearts and holiday flings: a brief history of dating. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Episode 2High society’s most DANGEROUS liaison | Henrietta Grosvenor and the king's brother. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

An illustration showing a royal purple robe being lifted from the ground, with some dust being swept under it with a dustpan and brush

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The prince and the brothel: 6 scandals that rocked the British monarchy. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Did Hitler have sexual relations with Eva Braun? What my research reveals about the Führer's love life. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Nero's doomed love affair: did a failed romance trigger his descent into madness?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A large illustration of Henry VIII with several images imprinted on him

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Porpoise for breakfast and late night sex visits: Henry VIII's life in a day. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A pink flower with various contraptions in the background

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From goat eyelids to bread: history's 12 strangest sex toys. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A selection of illustrations of medical procedures, including childbirth and someone vomiting, around a circular chart that depicts flasks of different coloured urine

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Marvellous medieval medicine: why their curious cures were better than you think. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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