About
Dr. Alexandra Penler is a historian and writer. Alex holds a PhD from the London School of Economics and Political Science in the history of international relations. Her current research focuses on the intersection of gender, marriage, and international relations. She is also a recognized expert on the British royal family and soft power diplomacy, having been published in outlets such as Chatham House’s magazine, on the LSE website, and has appeared on the BBC, Wall Street Journal, Al-Jazeera, and different European news outlets. At present, she is writing a book on American diplomatic wives in the Cold War.
Historian | Researcher | Writer
My approach to history:
“You can’t know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been”.
I’m a strong believer that you can learn so much from the past, and that those lessons learned can build an even better future. History is in everything we do, we just don’t always recognize it. I love looking at historical lessons for today’s challenges, whether that’s building a subway system or fighting an epidemic. A teacher once told me that all history is how the past impacted the present, you just have to find all the puzzle pieces to paint the fullest possible picture. My favorite part of being a historian is the research- finding as many primary sources as I can to share the fullest story possible- but I especially love telling untold stories.
I always strongly believe history should be as accessible as possible to the widest audience. Sometimes that means distilling a topic so anyone without a history degree can understand, but it also means being inclusive to all kinds of learners, demographics, and topics. In women’s and gender history, there are so many stories just waiting to be told. My work tries to balance historical practice and methodology (particularly staying unbiased) with open and accessible writing. If you claim you don’t like history, I have an anecdote to prove you wrong.
Read some of Alex’s past published writing on her research, women’s history, and all things royal.
Follow Alex on Substack for her newsletter. Social history meets pop culture. Mini historical backstories on some of our favorite things.
Alexandra Penler 