The capital is home to many palaces that have been impeccably preserved but London’s castles are a little more elusive. Here are four of the castles in London to have withstood the test of time…

King George VI boosted morale during the Second World War but struggled to keep the British Empire together. He reigned from 1936 to 1952 

Mel Gibson played him in Braveheart, but William Wallace was, of course, also a real person. He was Scotland’s greatest hero.

William III and Mary II were joint sovereigns in the ‘Glorious Revolution’, marking the transition to today’s parliamentary monarchy. They reigned from 1689-1702

It was one of the most tumultuous periods in British history and culminated in the execution of King Charles I. Our English Civil War timeline charts how Royalists became fiercely pitted against Parliamentarians

Britain has a wealth of beautiful stately homes, many of which are used as sets for filming period dramas for film and television. Here is our pick of the best.

You don’t have to leave the capital far behind to immerse yourself in history. Pay a visit to one of these medieval castles near London for an unforgettable day trip…

Queen Elizabeth I presided over an age of discovery that saw the establishment of the English Protestant church, the defeat of the Spanish Armada and the flourishing of the arts. She reigned from 1558-1603 

Queen Anne oversaw the Treaty of Union and the Acts of Union bringing England and Scotland together under a single parliament of Great Britain. She reigned from 1702 to 1714

King Henry VIII staged six royal weddings, became Ireland’s first English monarch and sowed the seeds for a multicultural Britain. He reigned from 1509-1547