Explore the evolution of royal portraits from the 1920s to the present day at the

Royal Portraits the Century of Photography Exhibition. View over 150 objects from

the Royal Collection including stunning photographs and previously unseen archives,

and discover how the sitter and the artist's relationship has developed.

Royal Portraits are century of photography at the King's Gallery Buckingham Palace.

Book your ticket at RCT. UK slash Royal Portraits.

Did you know that Antony Koldelis's book Streams of Gold Rivers of Blood is now available on

audible.com. Go to Hello everyone and welcome to the history of Byzantine episode 295, the forgotten siege. Last time the narrative moved forward with no more flashbacks to the sack of

Constantinople. The 1220s saw the rise of Epirus as Theodoros Dukas led their forces east to capture Thessaloniki.

That triumph was soon deflated though when he was captured in battle with the Bulgarians and lost his eyes.

Though Theodorus would be released and would pass his imperial title to his son,

Epirus was out of the contest for Constantinople. The Dukas family had established a functioning

Roman government for the Western Balkans but could not go beyond that. It was no mean achievement, but the armies of

Epirus were not strong enough to defeat the Bulgarians.

The new Bulgarians are Ivanson, was now able to put political pressure on the Latins.

The Westerners no longer had a functioning army.

All they could do was defend the Theodotian Walls and a few other forts.

And so the Tsar tried to leverage the advantage he had over them.

Ivan made various attempts to marry his way into Constantinople.

He hoped that he could get his relatives into the capital or be named as regent or

protector for the young emperor Baldwin II

but the Latins were anxious about a Bulgarian takeover and brushed him off.

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