Saoirse Ronan plays the Scottish queen.
Universal Pictures
The doomed Scottish monarch has divided opinion ever since the days when she was forced off the throne.
Mary Queen of Scots was at the centre of numerous plots to kill Queen Elizabeth I.
Pierre Révoil (1776–1842)
When the Spanish ambassador to Elizabeth I's court was implicated in a plot to kill her, he was protected by the fledgling laws of diplomacy.
Anne of Denmark by unknown artist.
Wikimedia Commons
Anne of Denmark proved women could play a key role in the 17th-century patriarchy.
Behind the mask.
National Galleries of Scotland
An old Scottish master has revealed its secret after 430 years. What next from art detectives?
Costumes tell a story through their design and give the viewer a look at the character’s personality.
HBO
Game of Thrones is brutal, shocking and great fun for fashion experts. Not confined to historical accuracy, its influences stretch from medieval northern Europe to 20th-century high fashion.
Joan of Arc. BlackMac/Shutterstock.com
Women have always had to fight gender rules in order to gain power.
Elizabeth I of England, the Armada portrait, 1590.
The value of the Armada painting, soon to go on show in Greenwich, lies in its masterful storytelling.
Whither Europe after Brexit?
Wiliam Potter
Those who favour Brexit imply it would be followed either by a European superstate or the collapse of the EU. Here's why neither is in UK's interests.