HM

Hadley Meares

Hadley Meares is a historical journalist based in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared in outlets including Aeon, LA Weekly, LA Magazine, Curbed LA, LAist, and Atlas Obscura. She is also a historical tour guide in Los Angeles. You can find her recent work and upcoming appearances at hadleymeares.com.

Latest from this author

Though their stories are sometimes overlooked, these women were instrumental in the fight for equal rights for African Americans.

Louis XVII being taken away from his mother, Marie Antoinette

After the French Revolution, eight-year-old Louis XVII was taken to prison and never seen in public again.

A double portrait painting, by artist Nicky Phillips, of Prince William and Prince Harry at the National Portrait Gallery. (Credit: Anwar Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images)

European royals did not trust the portraits sent to them by other courts, so they commissioned their own.

Reclining Dress Impression with Drapery, a sculpture by Karen LaMonte.

For centuries, people have had unusual fixations with new materials.

Why Queen Elizabeth I signed a death warrant to execute the rival royal cousin she'd never met.

Women around the world have fought against oppressive regimes, either with the pen, the podium or their very own fists.

Belva Lockwood, lawyer, presidential candidate (and bicycle rider).

Belva Lockwood not only ran for president—twice—she was also the first female lawyer to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Lubbock Lights, photographed by 19-year old Carl Hart, Jr. on August 30, 1951 in Lubbock, Texas.

Hundreds of people, including several university scientists, witnessed the flying blue-green lights in August 1951. One person even took photos.

Think royal births are a spectacle now? Marie Antoinette would beg to differ.

Palace of Versailles

The palace with more than 2,000 rooms featured elaborate gardens, fountains, a private zoo, roman-style baths and even 18th-century elevators.

Henry VIIIs Hampton Court

Filthy residences forced European monarchs to constantly move their courts.

Empress Elisabeth with her dog. (Credit: Alinari Archives/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

Inside the unhappy reign of Sisi, Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary.

Marion Barbara 'Joe' Carstairs

Among the adventuresses: a swashbuckling pirate, a medieval crusader and pioneering space traveler.

Marriage to a royal consort has not always been the fairytale we believe it to be.

These striking images changed how rulers were seen—and not always for the better.

How Lavish Spending by 17th-Century Monarchs Made the Crown Unpopular

James I, Charles I and Charles II of the Stuart dynasty were known for their excesses.

Elizabeth I, for one, was known to drink from a unicorn horn cup, believing that if poison touched it, it would explode.

Royal Family, 1969

The idea was to show the royal family in their day-to-day lives. The results were mixed.

Queen Elizabeth I

British aristocrats often went broke after royal visits.

Royal brothers and sisters have squabbled through the ages—often leading to war.