My Favourite Painting: Rachel Podger
Rachel Podger, one of the world's leading violinists who specialises in Baroque music, chooses one of Vincent van Gogh's 'Sunflowers'.
The Finer Things
When it comes to treating yourself to a new party dress or a pair of cufflinks, or if you want to buy a brilliant present for a loved one, look no further than our High Life section. From the most inspiring travel trips to the latest news in luxury watches, and beautiful jewellery, let Country Life guide you to the very best in beautiful things.
Plus, read articles from our brilliant Gentleman’s Life magazine, including the 39 steps to being a gentleman.
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Anya Hindmarch: 'Luxury can become achingly boring and a bit worthy. I like things that make you smile’
The thrill of a new pencil case doesn’t fade with age, finds Jo Rodgers, on a visit to Anya Hindmarch’s new stationery pop-up shop.
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What's for sale on 'the most mouth-watering shopping list in Britain'?
A browse through the summary of works of art and objects of cultural importance with a deferred export license reveals plenty of treasures. What should we keep?
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Goodwood Revival 2024: What you missed at the world's most elegant motor race weekend
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Rebirth of an icon: How Lotus is picking up the EV baton and running with it
After years of financial turmoil, Lotus is going all in on electric cars. We tested the new Eletre to find out whether the actions match the words.
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Sensory overload: If the modern car is all about safety, then why don't I feel safe?
Regulation and a race to innovate means our cars are full of technology that we don't want, we didn't ask for, and in some cases can cause an accident. But most of all, it makes driving absolutely awful.
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The Aston Martin DBX707: A Bond car for all seasons, five days and Three Peaks
Scaling the Three Peaks of Britain is not for the faint of heart and neither is driving the powerful Aston Martin DBX707. Adam Hay-Nicholls tried his hand at both.
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Cooking baked beans in an Aston Martin, rubbing shoulders with Beyoncé and sneaking onto yachts at Monaco, with Adam Hay-Nicholls
The motoring and travel journalist Adam Hay-Nicholls joins James Fisher on the Country Life Podcast this week.
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The Pre-Raphaelite painter who swapped 'willowy, nubile women' for stained glass — and created some of the best examples in Britain
The painter Edward Burne-Jones turned from paint to glass for much of his career. James Hughes, director of the Victorian Society, chooses a glass masterpiece by Burne-Jones as his favourite 'painting'.
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Curious Question: Did the limerick originate in Limerick?
Before workers wasted time scrolling Twitter or Instagram, they wasted their time writing limericks.
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The not-so-definitive Country Life guide to buying a car
Need to transport a falcon to Scotland? Drive the kids to school? Cruise silently on a beach? Escape from James Bond? These are all important questions. We have some of the answers.
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The Legacy: Charles Rolls and 'the best cars in the world'
Tragically killed at 32, Charles Rolls accomplished plenty in his short life, including founding Rolls-Royce.
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The glittering new home of Hancocks London, the jeweller that makes the Victoria Cross
The new home of Hancocks London celebrates the historic brand’s history of making exquisite jewellery and providing the bespoke service that befits them.
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George Stubbs (1724–1806): Hero of the turf
George Stubbs, born 300 years ago, found Nature superior to art and approached his pictures with the eye of an anatomy scholar, yet no contemporary could rival him in capturing the elegance and character of racehorses, dogs and even zebras, as Jack Watkins discovers.
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The Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece that never was, thanks to an assassination, a war, an abduction and an invasion
The great master Leonardo da Vinci was on course to create an equine statue that could have rivalled his greatest pieces — until fate intervened. Carla Passino tells the tale of the da Vinci sculpture that never was.
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'I loved it like a best friend, and shed a tear when it was finally consigned to the great junkyard in the sky': Country Life's team on our first cars
The L-plates are off and it’s time to hit the road. Everyone remembers their first car, so James Fisher asked Country Life staff and friends to tell us about theirs.
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You rang, your majesty? What it was like to be a servant in the Royal Household
Tending the royal bottom might be considered one of the worst jobs in history, but a life in elite domestic service offered many opportunities for self-advancement, finds Susan Jenkins.
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The Rolls-Royce Cullinan II: As smooth as a 'bubble bath with Roger Moore'
The original was greeted with raised eyebrows, but, as Adam Hay-Nicholls explains, the latest offering is as much a Rolls Royce as any other.
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'But for a few twists of fate, she might well have been Queen of England': Who was the mystery woman in the Hilliard miniature?
A chance encounter with a cabinet miniature sent two art historians down a rabbit hole of Elizabethan intrigue, spycraft and courtship.
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One of the largest banknotes ever printed to be offered for auction
The note, printed in 1998 to celebrate 100 years of Philippine independence, is legal tender and larger than a piece of A4 paper.
