Back in the bad old days, women were taught that the only way to succeed in life was to marry – and not just that, but to marry well. Indeed, love rarely came into the equation: a proposal was instead secured for financial and social reasons, with a huge amount of pressure placed upon the bride to “keep house” and pump out a succession of chubby-cheeked heirs for her husband (it all sounds ever so The Handmaid’s Tale, doesn’t it?).

It almost makes sense, then, that grooms historically favoured a younger bride: they assumed, rightly or wrongly, that they’d be virgins – and that they’d be more fertile, too. As such, the 14th and 15th centuries saw the majority of brides walk down the aisle when they were between 18 and 22 years old, and sometimes younger: the minimum marriageable age was 12.

Of course, things have changed since then – and for the better. In the UK, women have far more choices available to them, and more and more people are choosing to stay single than ever before. Despite this being the new norm of 2019, though, there’s still a lot of pressure on women to conform to sexist and outdated narratives, and they’re frequently asked why they haven’t settled down, warned that their biological clocks are ticking, and made to feel like bagging an engagement ring is the be-all and end-all of everything. And the archaic term of ‘spinster’ is still bandied around like nobody’s business, too – despite the fact it’s a) hugely derogatory and b) bloody inaccurate.

Over 26 and single? Society has a new name for you…