‘Enough to kill any man’: the trials of serving Queen Victoria
Of all the Queen’s prime ministers, Gladstone suffered the most from her wilfulness, but while he opposed her policies he did much to popularise her monarchy
The curious influence of Oscar Wilde on Hollywood
After Wilde’s visit to the US in 1882, his philosophy of life became an inspiration to early filmmakers in their revolt against corporate America, Wall Street and provincial pettiness
A voyage of literary discovery: Clara Reads Proust, by Stéphane Carlier, reviewed
A 23-year-old hairdresser casually picks up a copy of Swann’s Way left behind by a client – only to find the novel taking over her life
The true valour needed to go on pilgrimage in Britain
Oliver Smith finds sanctity in remote peninsulas and holy islands, but is less impressed by the tacky ephemera that decorate our more accessible shrines
Boxing clever: Headshot, by Rita Bullwinkel, reviewed
As eight teenage girls progress through a boxing championship in Reno, fighting is shown to be an undeniable, animal part of femininity in this knockout debut novel
Garbriel García Márquez has been ill-served by his sons
Posthumously published against the author’s wishes, Until August should not detract from Marquez’s best work – but it would have been better left as a curiosity in the archives
New light on the New Testament
Candida Moss reveals that many New Testament texts, including St Mark’s Gospel, were penned by enslaved scribes who became influential interpreters of Christian scripture
The healing power of Grasmere
Following in Wordsworth’s footsteps, Esther Rutter finds new self-confidence and happiness in the entrancing surroundings of Dove Cottage
Ghosts of the KKK still haunt American politics
The extreme savagery of the ‘white knights’ may be a thing of the past, but echoes of the Klan were all over the shameful Capitol attack of 2021, says Kristofer Allerfeldt
Putin has questions to answer over the Moscow terror attack
As Russia comes to terms with what seems to be the largest terrorist attack on its soil in recent times,…
The enormous dignity of the Princess of Wales
The statement, when it came, was remarkably simple and delivered with enormous dignity. Dressed simply and sitting outside, the Princess…
Princess of Wales asks for privacy after cancer diagnosis
After weeks of speculation over the Princess of Wales’s health since she underwent abdominal surgery in January, Kate Middleton has…
Kate reveals cancer diagnosis
The Princess of Wales this evening revealed that she has been diagnosed with cancer, and that she is being treated…
How activism swept the civil service
The Scottish parliament’s decision to ban its staff wearing campaigning lanyards may seem like a small step. But could it set…
The World Jewish Congress investigates Wikipedia
It’s no news to Spectator Australia readers that Wikipedia has the potential to be usurped by biased editors and biased…
Fencing
Persistent thumping and early morning glare woke Anton. As he opened his eyes, through a torn and flimsy curtain, he…
Bitcoin: not a fad, not a scam
Throw open the door to bitcoin miners
