Parliamentary Life
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Dressing the part: robes ancient and modern
In the latest post for the Georgian Lords, Dr Robin Eagles considers the symbolism of the robes worn by members…
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The Politics of Illness, Part 1: Francis Russell, 4th earl of Bedford, 1640-1
In the first of a short series, Dr Patrick Little of the 1640-60 Lords section, discusses how illness undermined a compromise between…
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‘You have this day lost an agreeable entertainment in the House of Lords’: Dr John Savage, Lord Cowper’s personal parliamentary reporter
We are so used to continuous coverage of Parliament that it is easy to forget that during most of the…
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Prime Ministers in the House of Lords
The retirement of Lord Salisbury in 1902 marked the end of the last premiership undertaken from the House of Lords,…
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‘One of the greatest Rugby players who ever sat in the House’: Pat Munro MP
With the 2026 Six Nations Championship in full swing, our latest article from Dr Kathryn Rix looks at one of…
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Paddington in Parliament
Dr Hannes Kleineke of our Commons 1461-1504 Section explores how Paddington Bear’s favourite sweet treat was traded by some members of the late…
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The true beginning of troubles? The Parliament of Bats, 1426
Dr Hannes Kleineke explores the acrimonious ‘Parliament of Bats’, which first met in Leicester on this day 600 years ago,…
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Bosworth and other battles: the illustrious career of Sir Gilbert Talbot (d.1517) of Grafton, KG
Dr Simon Payling of our Commons 1461-1504 project explores the career of the early Tudor figure Sir Gilbert Talbot, who…
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Power struggles and group dynamics in the House of Lords, 1584-5
At the IHR Parliaments, Politics and People seminar on Tuesday 3 February, Dr Paul Hunneyball of the History of Parliament,…
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Crossing the Floor: Tales from the Oral History Project
Following some recent, high-profile, political defections, Alfie Steer and Dr Emma Peplow have delved into the History of Parliament’s Oral…
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Reporting debates in the Victorian Commons
Today we take it for granted that parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. During the Victorian era, however, there was…
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The passing of the bill of attainder against the Jacobite Sir John Fenwick
On 25 November 1696 the House of Commons, after a bitter series of debates, finally passed a bill that would…