Spying was George Downing’s true calling. He especially loved word-substitution ciphers—and turning on allies when it suited him.

The police in London interviewed Virginia Giuffre three times over her allegations about Jeffrey Epstein, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Ghislaine Maxwell, but never began a criminal investigation.

Roger Mortimer’s escape from the Tower of London triggered one of England’s most dramatic medieval upheavals. Once a loyal noble, he rebelled against Edward II and allied with Queen Isabella. Together ...

Government minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said the change put an end to "an archaic and undemocratic principle." The removed aristocrats are 92 of the House of Lords' 800 members.