WELCOME

Welcome to our first issue of 2019. If you’re looking to escape the January blues this month then a trip to the cinema might well be in order as two major historical films will soon be hitting the screens. First up is The Favourite, which stars Olivia Colman and takes a somewhat unconventional look at the Stuart court. That’s followed by Tudor biopic Mary Queen of Scots, which is based on a biography by historian John Guy.

In this month’s edition we bring you the history behind both of these films. In our cover feature, on page 40, Kate Williams considers who was ultimately responsible for Mary, Queen of Scots’ downfall. Was it Elizabeth I, Lord Darnley or even Mary herself? Then, on page 60, Hannah Greig, consultant on The Favourite, shows how the womand-ominated royal court presented on screen isn’t too far from reality.

One hundred years ago this month, the world was still trying to cope with the aftermath of war. Seeking to shape the peace, the victorious leaders met in Paris for a conference that would ultimately produce five treaties, including the Treaty of Versailles, which dealt with Germany. Over the subsequent century, the peacemakers of 1919 have been regularly criticised for the harshness of the postwar settlement. This, it’s argued, paved the way for another global conflict just 20 years later. But in this month’s essay, on page 31, David Reynolds argues that we should be more sympathetic to the Allied leaders and the predicament they faced. It’s a topic that continues to provoke debate, so please let us know what you think.