From Belvoir to Belfast, the Exe to the Itchen and Holkham to Herefordshire, 11 friends of Country Life reveal what makes their beloved little corner of the British Isles stand out from the crowd
All hail the new Carolean age
A host of Charles III’s creative subjects are echoing the artistic achievements of the Restoration. Kate Green, John Goodall and Carla Passino investigate
Best in class
Julie Harding showcases the British-made products that are the embodiment of excellence both at home and abroad
Blooming brilliant
Charles Quest Ritson meets the dedicated custodians of our precious plant heritage
Susan Owens’s favourite painting
The art historian and author chooses a coastal masterpiece that brings the elements to life
The legacy
‘We’re doomed’—Kate Green salutes the hapless Captain Mainwaring and his motley, but much-loved Dad’s Army troops
Enthroning harmony
The King’s decades-long quest for harmony shines through in his architectural ventures, as Clive Aslet discovers
Trunk call
Julie Harding reveals how The King is backing efforts to save our majestic oaks, the arboreal icons of the British landscape
Winging it
Mark Cocker hails the original ‘jump jet’, the heady hen harrier
Life is like a rainbow
The vibrant hues of Nature’s paint palette are the daubs of warning, mating and more, suggests John Lewis-Stempel
Wink and you’ll miss it
There’s nothing tame about tiddly-winks, finds Amie Elizabeth White
Penny for your thoughts
Does familiarity breed contempt for Matthew Dennison as he delves into enduring proverbs?
Heritage threads
Hetty Lintell heads into the countryside to celebrate the very best of British fashion
No, Mr Bond, I expect you to cycle…
Paul Henderson joins the Q for Aston Martin’s top two-wheeler
Interiors
Giles Kime is wowed as the WOW!house opens its doors
A phoenix rises
Tiffany Daneff admires the revival of the historic gardens at Bledhow House in Buckinghamshire
A storm in a teacup
Jonathon Jones shares the dos and don’ts of brewing up
Arts & antiques
The politics, passions and portaits of wealthy American heiresses, with Carla Passino
Do judge the book by its cover
Carla Passino toasts the British illustrators who gave life to the worlds of Winnie-the-Pooh, Alice in Wonderland and Peter Rabbit
The Victims of the Trump Administration’s China-Bashing
A Cold War-era report is a reminder of how long suspicion has trailed people of Chinese descent in the U.S. By Michael Luo
Jacinda Ardern’s Overseas Experience
New Zealand’s ex-Prime Minister, an anti-Trump icon during COVID, revisited her impoverished New York days, when she slept on a couch and loitered at the Strand. By Andrew Marantz
A First Kiss from America’s First Woman in Space
Tam O’Shaughnessy came out as Sally Ride’s partner of twenty-seven years when she wrote of the relationship in Ride’s obituary. By Michael Schulman
THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE: The 6.8.25 Issue features Sarah Viren on the declining protections of academic freedom; Robert Draper on the D.C. restaurant that’s become a hotspot for Trump administration insiders; Carlo Rotella on how roots music is thriving in the age of the algorithm; and more.
Rethinking Retirement: A Lifelong Journey to Financial Security
Cheryl Evans, Director of Lifetime Financial Security at the Milken Institute, emphasized the importance of financial security throughout one’s life and the need for women to take ownership of their financial futures. By Dan Costa
The gowns and mortar boards were out in customary force at Harvard last week for graduation day. Founded in 1636, 140 years before the United States itself, the university knows a thing or two about how to do pomp and ceremony.
But this year’s rituals played out under a cloud with Harvard, along with several other universities in the US, having come under sustained attack from the Trump administration.
Trump has claimed his escalating battle with America’s oldest, wealthiest and most prestigious university is about tackling campus antisemitism, foreign influence and “woke” or “leftist” ideology in academia. Others see a more sinister authoritarian agenda, where the goal is to enforce deference from America’s largest institutions. Bring down the oldest of them all, the theory goes, and the rest will surely follow.
Five essential reads in this week’s edition
The big story | Is Viktor Orbán’s grip on power weakening? Opposition activists and journalists explain why the Orbánisation of the US may fail and how a former ally could end the Hungarian PM’s 15-year reign. By Ashifa Kassam and Flora Garamvolgyiin Budapest
Science | The risk and reward of rapid Everest ascents The use of xenon gas and hypoxic tents before recent expeditions has triggered alarm in Nepal, where guides fear it could encourage inexperienced climbers. Hannah Ellis-Petersen and Gaurav Pokharel report
Interview | Jacinda Ardern on leadership, legacy and why she quit The former prime minister of New Zealand tried to do politics differently. But six years into power she dramatically resigned. In an exclusive interview with the Guardian’s editor-in-chief, Katharine Viner, she explains why
Opinion | So long, Elon: all you really shredded was your reputation Judging by Musk’s approval ratings, Tesla investors won’t be the only ones happy to see the dethroning of the king of Doge, writes Marina Hyde
Culture | Inside Britain’s new museum of absolutely everything Poison darts, a dome from Spain, priceless spoons and Frank Lloyd Wright furniture … Oliver Wainwright is wowed by how the V&A East Storehouse lets visitors ‘breathe the same air’ as its 250,000 artefacts
News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious
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