Ill-timed parties, from Belshazzar to Boris

It's not unusual to celebrate at a time when human lives are in peril. 10 Downing Street's Partygate seemed like a metaphorical slap in the face for the British public, who at the time were separated from friends and family in a government-mandated attempt to keep the country's COVID numbers down. But history shows, this is not an isolated event: from the depravities of Emperor Nero to the Duchess of Richmond’s pre-battle ball, Jonathan Beckman revisits the rulers who revelled as their people perished.