The Week
How would the Romans have defined Meghan Markle?
Meghan Markle has been urging women to define themselves as they see fit, with ‘your full, complete, whole-layered, sometimes weird,…
What does Nicola Sturgeon want for Christmas?
Dying of heat The former government chief scientific adviser Sir David King predicted that the heatwave in mid-July could cause…
Letters: red kites are a menace
Free Kaliningrad Sir: Mark Galeotti was right to identify the exclave of Kaliningrad as a target for a strong western…
Portrait of the Week: the gilt market, Larry the Cat and Iranian protests
Home The Bank of England warned of a ‘material risk’ to financial stability as it stepped in to buy a…
China's great leap backward
This month should have marked the end of Xi Jinping’s time as leader of the Chinese Communist party. The twice-a-decade…
A lesson for Rupa Huq from the ancient Greeks
The Labour MP Rupa Huq, of Pakistani heritage, has been suspended for suggesting that Kwasi Kwarteng, of Ghanaian heritage, was…
Who has the most nuclear weapons?
Out of office Could Liz Truss end up being Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister? She would have to remain in office…
I feel sorry for Kwasi Kwarteng
In Singapore last week, I was asked: do ministers just come in, reach for the dumbest available policy and go…
Portrait of the week: Tory party conference, gas supply warning and Denmark’s royals stripped of titles
Home Liz Truss, the Prime Minister, came up with a message for the Conservative party conference: ‘Whenever there is change,…
Letters: Why I love Warhammer
Troubles ahead? Sir: Jenny McCartney’s article ‘Border lines’ (1 October) was a profoundly depressing one. Perhaps there will be a…
Give Liz Truss a chance
Conservative governments have a habit of self-destructing: they die not in battle with political enemies but as a result of…
Letters: Britain needs the English National Ballet
Putin’s options Sir: I agree with Paul Wood that Vladimir Putin is on the back foot (‘Cornered’, 24 September). His…
War has come home to Russia
Moscow A week of somewhat mixed messages from the Kremlin. One day Vladimir Putin opened Europe’s largest Ferris wheel…
Rupa Huq and the politics of prejudice
The Labour party’s contribution to the national debate this week has included the idea that someone can be ‘superficially’ black.…
Portrait of the week: Chancellor unveils his unBudget, Hilary Mantel dies and corgi prices soar
Home Kwasi Kwarteng, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, presented a far-reaching ‘fiscal event’ (ineligible to be called a Budget), said…
Peta, Lysistrata and the comedy of a sex strike
The German branch of the ‘green’ organisation Peta (‘People for the ethical treatment of animals’) is demanding that, until men…
Who was the first monarch to live in Buckingham Palace?
Fit for a king King Charles III, it has been reported, is reluctant to move into Buckingham Palace. Who was…
In search of Trussonomics
When Liz Truss entered the leadership race there was no such thing as ‘Trussonomics’. She began her campaign with no…
The police have learned to treat republican protests the Roman way
Public dissent, from riots to republicans objecting to homage to the Queen, is dealt with by the police, a force…
Portrait of the week: Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, capped energy prices and uncapped bankers’ bonuses
Home Queen Elizabeth was buried in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, beside her husband and father, after a funeral at…
Volodymyr Zelensky is a hero of our time
When the Queen died, I was on my way to Kyiv. My mind focused on the war in Ukraine, I…
Letters: Why the Union may not be so secure under Charles
The Queen’s kindness Sir: Last week’s Spectator (17 September) was thoughtful, insightful and at times hilarious; just the tonic I…
Who had the most highly attended state funeral?
The namesakes Some of history’s other Charles IIIs: – Charles III, King of Naples (1382-86): forced Pope Urban VI into…
Did Elizabeth II have anything in common with Elizabeth I?
Sovereign’s states When she died, Elizabeth II was Queen of 14 nations other than the UK: Antigua and Barbuda; Australia;…
Augustus and a lesson in self-publicity
The death of Her Majesty raises the question of a commemoration of her extraordinary years of service. Augustus ruled the…
