World
In praise of France's tributes to the Queen
The death of Elizabeth II has reacquainted Britain with all the cherished irrationalities that make us who we are. Hereditary…
Joe Biden's Taiwan muddle has become untenable
Under Joe Biden, the longstanding American policy of ‘strategic ambiguity’ vis-à-vis Taiwan has taken on a curious post-modern quality. The…
Why I queued to see the Queen
I went there with Rachel my best friend from childhood. We both wore black. Even our trainers were black. We…
Ukrainian nuclear power plant shelled by Russia
If Putin is losing the ground war in Ukraine and running out of troops, what other options does he have?…
The complete guide to the Queen's funeral
Today, the world says farewell to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. World leaders, including US president Joe Biden, French president…
What the Queen’s funeral tells us about Britain
State funerals say a lot about the country in which they take place – and one of the things in…
How The Spectator covered the deaths of previous British monarchs
To commemorate the 70-year and-214-day-long reign of Queen Elizabeth II, this week’s issue of The Spectator is the first ever…
The midlife crisis spread: why are the affluent so depressed?
‘You are here’, as those signs in windswept carparks unhelpfully point out. Yup. No mistaking it, you will tend to…
Why is violence breaking out in Leicester?
Just what is going on in Leicester? Last night violence broke out in the city after hundreds of young men…
The music industry is out-of-step on trans ideology
If you want a glimpse of progressive authoritarianism, look no further than the music industry. Two musicians, in successive weeks,…
Ukraine will likely win the war
The below is an edited transcript of David Petraeus’s interview with CNN’s Jim Sciutto. On the war’s momentum: It has…
The AfD’s unlikely conversion to Merkelism
It is hard to keep count of the German orthodoxies that have died a long overdue death on the battlefields…
What republicans understand about monarchy
What ridiculous figures we republicans must seem on the eve of Elizabeth II’s funeral. We sound like desiccated rationalists who…
We need more royals
King Charles has been respectfully silent on any plans he might have to shake up the monarchy. Courtiers have spent…
The failures that led to the UK’s energy crisis
Our energy market has not looked this bleak since the Winter of Discontent in the 1970s, a period seared into…
Why Queen Elizabeth was a Presbyterian when she died
When the Queen died, she was actually a Presbyterian. That’s because she was in residence at Balmoral, and all British…
Brits had their glorious Queen. What do we Americans have?
As an American who has spent his career contemplating and writing about the monarchy and the US-UK relationship, my skills…
Why Russia failed to dominate the skies over Ukraine
In the run up to the Russian invasion in February airpower analysts, including this author, were gloomy about Ukraine’s ability…
Why didn’t Ukraine fall?
A week before Russia invaded Ukraine, expectations varied considerably. The US government was certain the Russians would strike at Kyiv…
When the Ceausescus came to tea
Anyone still in any doubt about the lengths to which Queen Elizabeth II was prepared to go in the line…
The esoteric creed of King Charles
Our new king is not, by normal standards, an important intellectual. But it would be churlish to dismiss his thinking…
How the culture war became a crusade
In February 2020, I was invited on to the BBC’s The Big Questions to debate the topic: ‘Is wokeness the…
For the state funeral mourners, the endurance is part of the ritual
The queue snakes for miles along the South Bank. Thousands of ordinary people are giving up hours of their time…
The moment that showed the madness of gender ideology
Homosexuality was legalised in England and Wales 55 years ago. The Sexual Offences Act 1967 permitted homosexual acts between two…
Could Putin still trigger nuclear war?
The world is facing the prospect of its first nuclear attack since the US Air Force dropped atomic bombs on…
