How did a severed ear start a war between Britain and Spain in the 18th century? And what has Queen Victoria's armpit got to do with the development of antiseptic? Speaking to Charlotte Hodgman, medical doctor and historian Dr Suzie Edge investigates our long-standing fascination with body parts, and explores the incredible stories of the people attached to them – from Albert Einstein's brain to the bones of 'Irish Giant' Charles Byrne.

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Suzie Edge is a medical doctor, historian and the author of Vital Organs: A History of the World's Most Famous Body Parts (Wildfire, 2023)

Watch a video version of Victoria's armpit and 'giant' bones: body parts that changed history

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Authors

Charlotte HodgmanEditor, BBC History Revealed

Charlotte Hodgman is the editor of BBC History Revealed and HistoryExtra's royal newsletter. She was previously deputy editor of BBC History Magazine and makes the occasional appearance on the HistoryExtra podcast

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