10 Fascinating Historical Artefacts (That Weren't Real)

Every now and again, previously secret files will be declassified and cast an intriguing and often shocking light on the covert activities of yesteryear. Historian Martin Allen released a series of books, starting in in 2002, describing a slew of such revelations concerning the Royal Family and their relationship with the Nazis before and during the Second World War.

Among the facts revealed were the Duke of Windsor's personal correspondence with Hitler, British spies using the Royals to plant misinformation among the Germans, and most shockingly, Winston Churchill ordering the assassination of Heinrich Himmler at the end of the war instead of Himmler committing suicide as was believed.

Except they weren't, because they were less 'facts' and more 'things Martin Allen made up'.

He had planted the faked documents he used as source material in the National Archives over the course of a few years, apparently unaware he was the only person to have taken out those files and hence was the only possible suspect for a total of 29 forgeries.