Queen V: The Life of Queen Victoria

Letters 34 through 43 - Elizabeth Bancroft went to England with her husband, historian George Bancroft, for three of the most dynamicy years in European history. As Ambassador to England from the United States, George moved in the highest circles. In his wife's letters to their sons, her uncle, her brother, and Mrs. Polk (the President's wife), we see glimpses not only of early Victorian English life, but also of Queen Victoria herself! Mrs. Bancroft speaks of dinners with Benjamin Disraeli, visits to Wordsworth, weekends in the country with Louis Napolean and Sir Robert Peel with such matter of fact aplomb that one cannot help being impressed.

Letters 24 through 33 - Elizabeth Bancroft went to England with her husband, historian George Bancroft, for three of the most dynamicy years in European history. As Ambassador to England from the United States, George moved in the highest circles. In his wife's letters to their sons, her uncle, her brother, and Mrs. Polk (the President's wife), we see glimpses not only of early Victorian English life, but also of Queen Victoria herself! Mrs. Bancroft speaks of dinners with Benjamin Disraeli, visits to Wordsworth, weekends in the country with Louis Napolean and Sir Robert Peel with such matter of fact aplomb that one cannot help being impressed.

Letters 19 through 23 - Elizabeth Bancroft went to England with her husband, historian George Bancroft, for three of the most dynamicy years in European history. As Ambassador to England from the United States, George moved in the highest circles. In his wife's letters to their sons, her uncle, her brother, and Mrs. Polk (the President's wife), we see glimpses not only of early Victorian English life, but also of Queen Victoria herself! Mrs. Bancroft speaks of dinners with Benjamin Disraeli, visits to Wordsworth, weekends in the country with Louis Napolean and Sir Robert Peel with such matter of fact aplomb that one cannot help being impressed.

Letters 12 through 18 - Elizabeth Bancroft went to England with her husband, historian George Bancroft, for three of the most dynamicy years in European history. As Ambassador to England from the United States, George moved in the highest circles. In his wife's letters to their sons, her uncle, her brother, and Mrs. Polk (the President's wife), we see glimpses not only of early Victorian English life, but also of Queen Victoria herself! Mrs. Bancroft speaks of dinners with Benjamin Disraeli, visits to Wordsworth, weekends in the country with Louis Napolean and Sir Robert Peel with such matter of fact aplomb that one cannot help being impressed.

Letters 8 through 11 - Elizabeth Bancroft went to England with her husband, historian George Bancroft, for three of the most dynamicy years in European history. As Ambassador to England from the United States, George moved in the highest circles. In his wife's letters to their sons, her uncle, her brother, and Mrs. Polk (the President's wife), we see glimpses not only of early Victorian English life, but also of Queen Victoria herself! Mrs. Bancroft speaks of dinners with Benjamin Disraeli, visits to Wordsworth, weekends in the country with Louis Napolean and Sir Robert Peel with such matter of fact aplomb that one cannot help being impressed.

Letters 1 through 7 - Elizabeth Bancroft went to England with her husband, historian George Bancroft, for three of the most dynamicy years in European history. As Ambassador to England from the United States, George moved in the highest circles. In his wife's letters to their sons, her uncle, her brother, and Mrs. Polk (the President's wife), we see glimpses not only of early Victorian English life, but also of Queen Victoria herself! Mrs. Bancroft speaks of dinners with Benjamin Disraeli, visits to Wordsworth, weekends in the country with Louis Napolean and Sir Robert Peel with such matter of fact aplomb that one cannot help being impressed.

In a 60-year family saga this three-part series explores the reign of Victoria through her personal relationships with her husband and her nine children. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert shared a passionate marriage. Behind closed doors, royal domestic life often seemed like a battlefield. It is a story of manipulation, conflict, intimidation, emotional blackmail, and fevered attempts by her children to escape the clutches of their domineering and needy mother. The series uses a wealth of written material and photos left by Victoria, Albert and their children, including letters, diaries, memoirs and journals, to bring the subject and characters to life. It focuses on Victoria's relationship with her sons and how, after Albert's death, they struggled to live up to his model of purity. It explores Victoria's difficult relationship with her eldest son Bertie, whom she blamed for Albert's death, believing his sexual indiscretions to have fatally weakened her husband. It also examines her relationship with her son Leopold, the physically weak but spirited hemophiliac who put up the most determined effort to break free from his mother's control. Ultimately, the idea of monarchy based on purity is put to the test as the philandering Bertie comes to the throne.

In a 60-year family saga this three-part series explores the reign of Victoria through her personal relationships with her husband and her nine children. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert shared a passionate marriage. Behind closed doors, royal domestic life often seemed like a battlefield. It is a story of manipulation, conflict, intimidation, emotional blackmail, and fevered attempts by her children to escape the clutches of their domineering and needy mother. The series uses a wealth of written material and photos left by Victoria, Albert and their children, including letters, diaries, memoirs and journals, to bring the subject and characters to life. It concentrates on Victoria's relationship with her daughters, after Albert's death, Victoria clings to and bullies them and arranged their marriages. In response the princesses fight back, becoming independent women determined to find love and fresh purpose. From sculpture to medicine, the daughters become champions of women for a new era.

In a 60-year family saga this three-part series explores the reign of Victoria through her personal relationships with her husband and her nine children. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert shared a passionate marriage. Behind closed doors, royal domestic life often seemed like a battlefield. It is a story of manipulation, conflict, intimidation, emotional blackmail, and fevered attempts by her children to escape the clutches of their domineering and needy mother. The series uses a wealth of written material and photos left by Victoria, Albert and their children, including letters, diaries, memoirs and journals, to bring the subject and characters to life. Victoria mourns the death of Prince Albert and begins a lifetime of war with her eldest son.

Queen Victoria's Letters: A Monarch Unveiled. This is the story of Queen Victoria as never heard before; a psychological insight of the woman told through her own words, her experiences recounted solely through her personal diaries and letters.

Queen Victoria's Letters: A Monarch Unveiled. This is the story of Queen Victoria as never heard before; a psychological insight of the woman told through her own words, her experiences recounted solely through her personal diaries and letters.

Based on the letters and diaries of the young Queen Victoria, this portrait of her younger life and the happy years of her marriage, reveals some of the remarkable and long-lasting achievements of this extraordinary queen.

1. Clipped Wings - The reflections of the young Victoria as she turns sixteen...

2. Looking for Love - Talk turns to a suitor for the young princess.

3. The Young Queen - The young princess turns 18, and William IV dies.

4. The Learning Process - The coronation captures the heart of the nation.

5. The Wedding - The Queen proposes to her husband of choice.

6. The Newlyweds - The newlyweds return to Buckingham Palace.

7. The Family - A gun shot alarms the royal couple.

8. Albert's Achievements - The Prince Regent plans the first international exhibition.

9. The Marriage of True Minds - The Crimean War looms and Victoria has her ninth child.

10. The Death of Prince Albert - Victoria mourns for her mother whilst Albert is tormented by Bertie

Based on the letters and diaries of the young Queen Victoria, this portrait of her younger life and the happy years of her marriage, reveals some of the remarkable and long-lasting achievements of this extraordinary queen.

1. Clipped Wings - The reflections of the young Victoria as she turns sixteen...

2. Looking for Love - Talk turns to a suitor for the young princess.

3. The Young Queen - The young princess turns 18, and William IV dies.

4. The Learning Process - The coronation captures the heart of the nation.

5. The Wedding - The Queen proposes to her husband of choice.

6. The Newlyweds - The newlyweds return to Buckingham Palace.

7. The Family - A gun shot alarms the royal couple.

8. Albert's Achievements - The Prince Regent plans the first international exhibition.

9. The Marriage of True Minds - The Crimean War looms and Victoria has her ninth child.

10. The Death of Prince Albert - Victoria mourns for her mother whilst Albert is tormented by Bertie

Based on the letters and diaries of the young Queen Victoria, this portrait of her younger life and the happy years of her marriage, reveals some of the remarkable and long-lasting achievements of this extraordinary queen.

1. Clipped Wings - The reflections of the young Victoria as she turns sixteen...

2. Looking for Love - Talk turns to a suitor for the young princess.

3. The Young Queen - The young princess turns 18, and William IV dies.

4. The Learning Process - The coronation captures the heart of the nation.

5. The Wedding - The Queen proposes to her husband of choice.

6. The Newlyweds - The newlyweds return to Buckingham Palace.

7. The Family - A gun shot alarms the royal couple.

8. Albert's Achievements - The Prince Regent plans the first international exhibition.

9. The Marriage of True Minds - The Crimean War looms and Victoria has her ninth child.

10. The Death of Prince Albert - Victoria mourns for her mother whilst Albert is tormented by Bertie

Based on the letters and diaries of the young Queen Victoria, this portrait of her younger life and the happy years of her marriage, reveals some of the remarkable and long-lasting achievements of this extraordinary queen.

1. Clipped Wings - The reflections of the young Victoria as she turns sixteen...

2. Looking for Love - Talk turns to a suitor for the young princess.

3. The Young Queen - The young princess turns 18, and William IV dies.

4. The Learning Process - The coronation captures the heart of the nation.

5. The Wedding - The Queen proposes to her husband of choice.

6. The Newlyweds - The newlyweds return to Buckingham Palace.

7. The Family - A gun shot alarms the royal couple.

8. Albert's Achievements - The Prince Regent plans the first international exhibition.

9. The Marriage of True Minds - The Crimean War looms and Victoria has her ninth child.

10. The Death of Prince Albert - Victoria mourns for her mother whilst Albert is tormented by Bertie

Based on the letters and diaries of the young Queen Victoria, this portrait of her younger life and the happy years of her marriage, reveals some of the remarkable and long-lasting achievements of this extraordinary queen.

1. Clipped Wings - The reflections of the young Victoria as she turns sixteen...

2. Looking for Love - Talk turns to a suitor for the young princess.

3. The Young Queen - The young princess turns 18, and William IV dies.

4. The Learning Process - The coronation captures the heart of the nation.

5. The Wedding - The Queen proposes to her husband of choice.

6. The Newlyweds - The newlyweds return to Buckingham Palace.

7. The Family - A gun shot alarms the royal couple.

8. Albert's Achievements - The Prince Regent plans the first international exhibition.

9. The Marriage of True Minds - The Crimean War looms and Victoria has her ninth child.

10. The Death of Prince Albert - Victoria mourns for her mother whilst Albert is tormented by Bertie

Based on the letters and diaries of the young Queen Victoria, this portrait of her younger life and the happy years of her marriage, reveals some of the remarkable and long-lasting achievements of this extraordinary queen.

1. Clipped Wings - The reflections of the young Victoria as she turns sixteen...

2. Looking for Love - Talk turns to a suitor for the young princess.

3. The Young Queen - The young princess turns 18, and William IV dies.

4. The Learning Process - The coronation captures the heart of the nation.

5. The Wedding - The Queen proposes to her husband of choice.

6. The Newlyweds - The newlyweds return to Buckingham Palace.

7. The Family - A gun shot alarms the royal couple.

8. Albert's Achievements - The Prince Regent plans the first international exhibition.

9. The Marriage of True Minds - The Crimean War looms and Victoria has her ninth child.

10. The Death of Prince Albert - Victoria mourns for her mother whilst Albert is tormented by Bertie

Based on the letters and diaries of the young Queen Victoria, this portrait of her younger life and the happy years of her marriage, reveals some of the remarkable and long-lasting achievements of this extraordinary queen.

1. Clipped Wings - The reflections of the young Victoria as she turns sixteen...

2. Looking for Love - Talk turns to a suitor for the young princess.

3. The Young Queen - The young princess turns 18, and William IV dies.

4. The Learning Process - The coronation captures the heart of the nation.

5. The Wedding - The Queen proposes to her husband of choice.

6. The Newlyweds - The newlyweds return to Buckingham Palace.

7. The Family - A gun shot alarms the royal couple.

8. Albert's Achievements - The Prince Regent plans the first international exhibition.

9. The Marriage of True Minds - The Crimean War looms and Victoria has her ninth child.

10. The Death of Prince Albert - Victoria mourns for her mother whilst Albert is tormented by Bertie

Based on the letters and diaries of the young Queen Victoria, this portrait of her younger life and the happy years of her marriage, reveals some of the remarkable and long-lasting achievements of this extraordinary queen.

1. Clipped Wings - The reflections of the young Victoria as she turns sixteen...

2. Looking for Love - Talk turns to a suitor for the young princess.

3. The Young Queen - The young princess turns 18, and William IV dies.

4. The Learning Process - The coronation captures the heart of the nation.

5. The Wedding - The Queen proposes to her husband of choice.

6. The Newlyweds - The newlyweds return to Buckingham Palace.

7. The Family - A gun shot alarms the royal couple.

8. Albert's Achievements - The Prince Regent plans the first international exhibition.

9. The Marriage of True Minds - The Crimean War looms and Victoria has her ninth child.

10. The Death of Prince Albert - Victoria mourns for her mother whilst Albert is tormented by Bertie

Based on the letters and diaries of the young Queen Victoria, this portrait of her younger life and the happy years of her marriage, reveals some of the remarkable and long-lasting achievements of this extraordinary queen.

1. Clipped Wings - The reflections of the young Victoria as she turns sixteen...

2. Looking for Love - Talk turns to a suitor for the young princess.

3. The Young Queen - The young princess turns 18, and William IV dies.

4. The Learning Process - The coronation captures the heart of the nation.

5. The Wedding - The Queen proposes to her husband of choice.

6. The Newlyweds - The newlyweds return to Buckingham Palace.

7. The Family - A gun shot alarms the royal couple.

8. Albert's Achievements - The Prince Regent plans the first international exhibition.

9. The Marriage of True Minds - The Crimean War looms and Victoria has her ninth child.

10. The Death of Prince Albert - Victoria mourns for her mother whilst Albert is tormented by Bertie

Based on the letters and diaries of the young Queen Victoria, this portrait of her younger life and the happy years of her marriage, reveals some of the remarkable and long-lasting achievements of this extraordinary queen.

1. Clipped Wings - The reflections of the young Victoria as she turns sixteen...

2. Looking for Love - Talk turns to a suitor for the young princess.

3. The Young Queen - The young princess turns 18, and William IV dies.

4. The Learning Process - The coronation captures the heart of the nation.

5. The Wedding - The Queen proposes to her husband of choice.

6. The Newlyweds - The newlyweds return to Buckingham Palace.

7. The Family - A gun shot alarms the royal couple.

8. Albert's Achievements - The Prince Regent plans the first international exhibition.

9. The Marriage of True Minds - The Crimean War looms and Victoria has her ninth child.

10. The Death of Prince Albert - Victoria mourns for her mother whilst Albert is tormented by Bertie.

AN EVENING WITH QUEEN VICTORIA


Prunella Scales presents a radio self-portrait, compiled from the Queen's own writings by Katrinal Henrey.


For 68 years - from the age of 13 until her death in 1901 - Queen Victoria kept a personal journal portraying the thoughts and feelings in different phases of her life: the solitary child at Kensington Palace; the young Queen; devoted wife and mother of nine; student of politics; and Empress of India.


A selection of music, about which Victoria cared deeply, is performed by Ian Partridge (tenor) and Richard Burnett (piano).


Also taking part: Judy Franklin Gavin Campbell

Adrian Egan and Wendy Murray

During Victoria's first pregnancy in 1840, in the first few months of the marriage, 18-year-old Edward Oxford attempted to assassinate her while she was riding in a carriage with Prince Albert on her way to visit her mother. Oxford fired twice, but either both bullets missed or, as he later claimed, the guns had no shot. He was tried for high treason, found not guilty by reason of insanity, committed to an insane asylum indefinitely, and later sent to live in Australia. In the immediate aftermath of the attack, Victoria's popularity soared, mitigating residual discontent over the Hastings affair and the bedchamber crisis. Her daughter, also named Victoria, was born on 21 November 1840. The Queen hated being pregnant, viewed breast-feeding with disgust, and thought newborn babies were ugly. Nevertheless, over the following seventeen years, she and Albert had a further eight children: Albert Edward (b. 1841), Alice (b. 1843), Alfred (b. 1844), Helena (b. 1846), Louise (b. 1848), Arthur (b. 1850), Leopold (b. 1853) and Beatrice (b. 1857).

Victoria's household was largely run by her childhood governess, Baroness Louise Lehzen from Hanover. Lehzen had been a formative influence on Victoria and had supported her against the Kensington System. Albert, however, thought that Lehzen was incompetent and that her mismanagement threatened his daughter's health. After a furious row between Victoria and Albert over the issue, Lehzen was pensioned off in 1842, and Victoria's close relationship with her ended.

Queen Victoria's Empire: At the time of Queen Victoria's birth in 1819, England was an agrarian society. Within a few short decades, this small island nation would be transformed into an industrial superpower, with an empire spanning the globe. Queen Victoria's Empire is both the story of this remarkable time, and an engaging portrait of a Queen who ruled over a one-fifth of the world's population. It is the story of the influential figures that would shape a distinctively British imperialism: Gladstone, Disraeli, Livingstone, Rhodes, and Prince Albert, Victoria's husband. Whether driven by profit, passion, or noble ideals, these figures would fuel an expansion unequaled in history, forever changing Britain and the lands it controlled. Personal accounts, lush reenactments, and evocative cinematography from former outposts of the Empire, including India and Africa, recount the dramatic clash of personalities and cultures that would drive Victoria's remarkable 64-year reign.

Episode 1: Engines of Change
Beginning with the birth of Queen Victoria, this episode explores the changes brought to Britain by the industrial revolution. By the 1840s, urban migration has created overcrowding and extremes in pollution and poverty. However, British subjects remain loyal to their Queen. Prince Albert, Victoria's husband, becomes a guiding force in the monarchy. Benjamin Disraeli and William Gladstone, political stars with starkly contrasting visions of empire, turn the nation's attention abroad.

Episode 2: Passage to India
In the 1850s, one half of the world's industrial goods are made in Britain, and steamships bring British exports and families to far corners of the globe. In India, the clash of Victorian values and Indian culture explodes in the Great Mutiny and Cawnpore massacre of 1857. Appalled by the bloodshed, Victoria and Albert draft a proclamation to assume direct rule over India. This episode also reveals the devastating effects of The Crimean War, the first major war of Victoria's reign, and the death of Prince Albert.

Episode 3: The Moral Crusade
By 1861, Britain is the wealthiest and most powerful nation on earth. However, the death of Prince Albert weakens Victoria, and many of his political ideals fade from importance. David Livingstone's explorations of the African interior fascinate the British public. Disraeli and Gladstone battle for control of the British government and debate the course of empire. The purchase of the Suez Canal solidifies British presence in the Middle East, igniting a stampede for the colonization of Africa.

Episode 4: The Scramble for Africa
The Suez Canal is threatened by a holy war in the Sudan, and General Charles Gordon, killed by the rebels, becomes an "imperial martyr." Cecil Rhodes prospects diamond deposits in southern Africa, and asserts British control in the region. However, as Victoria celebrates her Diamond Jubilee, the empire is on the verge of its darkest hours. The Boer War leads to devastating losses and a reassessment of British purpose. Finally, in 1901, the death of Queen Victoria marks the end of an extraordinary era.

Queen Victoria's Empire: At the time of Queen Victoria's birth in 1819, England was an agrarian society. Within a few short decades, this small island nation would be transformed into an industrial superpower, with an empire spanning the globe. Queen Victoria's Empire is both the story of this remarkable time, and an engaging portrait of a Queen who ruled over a one-fifth of the world's population. It is the story of the influential figures that would shape a distinctively British imperialism: Gladstone, Disraeli, Livingstone, Rhodes, and Prince Albert, Victoria's husband. Whether driven by profit, passion, or noble ideals, these figures would fuel an expansion unequaled in history, forever changing Britain and the lands it controlled. Personal accounts, lush reenactments, and evocative cinematography from former outposts of the Empire, including India and Africa, recount the dramatic clash of personalities and cultures that would drive Victoria's remarkable 64-year reign.

Episode 1: Engines of Change
Beginning with the birth of Queen Victoria, this episode explores the changes brought to Britain by the industrial revolution. By the 1840s, urban migration has created overcrowding and extremes in pollution and poverty. However, British subjects remain loyal to their Queen. Prince Albert, Victoria's husband, becomes a guiding force in the monarchy. Benjamin Disraeli and William Gladstone, political stars with starkly contrasting visions of empire, turn the nation's attention abroad.

Episode 2: Passage to India
In the 1850s, one half of the world's industrial goods are made in Britain, and steamships bring British exports and families to far corners of the globe. In India, the clash of Victorian values and Indian culture explodes in the Great Mutiny and Cawnpore massacre of 1857. Appalled by the bloodshed, Victoria and Albert draft a proclamation to assume direct rule over India. This episode also reveals the devastating effects of The Crimean War, the first major war of Victoria's reign, and the death of Prince Albert.

Episode 3: The Moral Crusade
By 1861, Britain is the wealthiest and most powerful nation on earth. However, the death of Prince Albert weakens Victoria, and many of his political ideals fade from importance. David Livingstone's explorations of the African interior fascinate the British public. Disraeli and Gladstone battle for control of the British government and debate the course of empire. The purchase of the Suez Canal solidifies British presence in the Middle East, igniting a stampede for the colonization of Africa.

Episode 4: The Scramble for Africa
The Suez Canal is threatened by a holy war in the Sudan, and General Charles Gordon, killed by the rebels, becomes an "imperial martyr." Cecil Rhodes prospects diamond deposits in southern Africa, and asserts British control in the region. However, as Victoria celebrates her Diamond Jubilee, the empire is on the verge of its darkest hours. The Boer War leads to devastating losses and a reassessment of British purpose. Finally, in 1901, the death of Queen Victoria marks the end of an extraordinary era.

Queen Victoria's Empire: At the time of Queen Victoria's birth in 1819, England was an agrarian society. Within a few short decades, this small island nation would be transformed into an industrial superpower, with an empire spanning the globe. Queen Victoria's Empire is both the story of this remarkable time, and an engaging portrait of a Queen who ruled over a one-fifth of the world's population. It is the story of the influential figures that would shape a distinctively British imperialism: Gladstone, Disraeli, Livingstone, Rhodes, and Prince Albert, Victoria's husband. Whether driven by profit, passion, or noble ideals, these figures would fuel an expansion unequaled in history, forever changing Britain and the lands it controlled. Personal accounts, lush reenactments, and evocative cinematography from former outposts of the Empire, including India and Africa, recount the dramatic clash of personalities and cultures that would drive Victoria's remarkable 64-year reign.

Episode 1: Engines of Change
Beginning with the birth of Queen Victoria, this episode explores the changes brought to Britain by the industrial revolution. By the 1840s, urban migration has created overcrowding and extremes in pollution and poverty. However, British subjects remain loyal to their Queen. Prince Albert, Victoria's husband, becomes a guiding force in the monarchy. Benjamin Disraeli and William Gladstone, political stars with starkly contrasting visions of empire, turn the nation's attention abroad.

Episode 2: Passage to India
In the 1850s, one half of the world's industrial goods are made in Britain, and steamships bring British exports and families to far corners of the globe. In India, the clash of Victorian values and Indian culture explodes in the Great Mutiny and Cawnpore massacre of 1857. Appalled by the bloodshed, Victoria and Albert draft a proclamation to assume direct rule over India. This episode also reveals the devastating effects of The Crimean War, the first major war of Victoria's reign, and the death of Prince Albert.

Episode 3: The Moral Crusade
By 1861, Britain is the wealthiest and most powerful nation on earth. However, the death of Prince Albert weakens Victoria, and many of his political ideals fade from importance. David Livingstone's explorations of the African interior fascinate the British public. Disraeli and Gladstone battle for control of the British government and debate the course of empire. The purchase of the Suez Canal solidifies British presence in the Middle East, igniting a stampede for the colonization of Africa.

Episode 4: The Scramble for Africa
The Suez Canal is threatened by a holy war in the Sudan, and General Charles Gordon, killed by the rebels, becomes an "imperial martyr." Cecil Rhodes prospects diamond deposits in southern Africa, and asserts British control in the region. However, as Victoria celebrates her Diamond Jubilee, the empire is on the verge of its darkest hours. The Boer War leads to devastating losses and a reassessment of British purpose. Finally, in 1901, the death of Queen Victoria marks the end of an extraordinary era.

Queen Victoria's Empire: At the time of Queen Victoria's birth in 1819, England was an agrarian society. Within a few short decades, this small island nation would be transformed into an industrial superpower, with an empire spanning the globe. Queen Victoria's Empire is both the story of this remarkable time, and an engaging portrait of a Queen who ruled over a one-fifth of the world's population. It is the story of the influential figures that would shape a distinctively British imperialism: Gladstone, Disraeli, Livingstone, Rhodes, and Prince Albert, Victoria's husband. Whether driven by profit, passion, or noble ideals, these figures would fuel an expansion unequaled in history, forever changing Britain and the lands it controlled. Personal accounts, lush reenactments, and evocative cinematography from former outposts of the Empire, including India and Africa, recount the dramatic clash of personalities and cultures that would drive Victoria's remarkable 64-year reign.

Episode 1: Engines of Change
Beginning with the birth of Queen Victoria, this episode explores the changes brought to Britain by the industrial revolution. By the 1840s, urban migration has created overcrowding and extremes in pollution and poverty. However, British subjects remain loyal to their Queen. Prince Albert, Victoria's husband, becomes a guiding force in the monarchy. Benjamin Disraeli and William Gladstone, political stars with starkly contrasting visions of empire, turn the nation's attention abroad.

Episode 2: Passage to India
In the 1850s, one half of the world's industrial goods are made in Britain, and steamships bring British exports and families to far corners of the globe. In India, the clash of Victorian values and Indian culture explodes in the Great Mutiny and Cawnpore massacre of 1857. Appalled by the bloodshed, Victoria and Albert draft a proclamation to assume direct rule over India. This episode also reveals the devastating effects of The Crimean War, the first major war of Victoria's reign, and the death of Prince Albert.

Episode 3: The Moral Crusade
By 1861, Britain is the wealthiest and most powerful nation on earth. However, the death of Prince Albert weakens Victoria, and many of his political ideals fade from importance. David Livingstone's explorations of the African interior fascinate the British public. Disraeli and Gladstone battle for control of the British government and debate the course of empire. The purchase of the Suez Canal solidifies British presence in the Middle East, igniting a stampede for the colonization of Africa.

Episode 4: The Scramble for Africa
The Suez Canal is threatened by a holy war in the Sudan, and General Charles Gordon, killed by the rebels, becomes an "imperial martyr." Cecil Rhodes prospects diamond deposits in southern Africa, and asserts British control in the region. However, as Victoria celebrates her Diamond Jubilee, the empire is on the verge of its darkest hours. The Boer War leads to devastating losses and a reassessment of British purpose. Finally, in 1901, the death of Queen Victoria marks the end of an extraordinary era.

Haemophilia is a mostly inherited genetic disorder that impairs the body's ability to make blood clots, a process needed to stop bleeding. This results in people bleeding for a longer time after an injury, easy bruising, and an increased risk of bleeding inside joints or the brain. Those with a mild case of the disease may have symptoms only after an accident or during surgery. Bleeding into a joint can result in permanent damage while bleeding in the brain can result in long term headaches, seizures, or a decreased level of consciousness.

Porphyria is a group of diseases in which substances called porphyrins build up, negatively affecting the skin or nervous system. The types that affect the nervous system are also known as acute porphyria, as symptoms are rapid in onset and last a short time. Symptoms of an attack include abdominal pain, chest pain, vomiting, confusion, constipation, fever, high blood pressure, and high heart rate. The attacks usually last for days to weeks. Complications may include paralysis, low blood sodium levels, and seizures. Attacks may be triggered by alcohol, smoking, hormonal changes, fasting, stress, or certain medications. If the skin is affected, blisters or itching may occur with sunlight exposure.

Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. On 1 May 1876, she adopted the additional title of Empress of India. Known as the Victorian era, her reign of 63 years and seven months was longer than that of any of her predecessors. It was a period of industrial, cultural, political, scientific, and military change within the United Kingdom, and was marked by a great expansion of the British Empire.

Victoria was the daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (the fourth son of King George III), and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. After both the Duke and his father died in 1820, she was raised under close supervision by her mother and her comptroller, John Conroy. She inherited the throne aged 18 after her father's three elder brothers died without surviving legitimate issue. The United Kingdom was an established constitutional monarchy in which the sovereign held relatively little direct political power. Privately, she attempted to influence government policy and ministerial appointments; publicly, she became a national icon who was identified with strict standards of personal morality.

Victoria married her cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1840. Their children married into royal and noble families across the continent, earning Victoria the sobriquet "the grandmother of Europe" and spreading haemophilia in European royalty. After Albert's death in 1861, Victoria plunged into deep mourning and avoided public appearances. As a result of her seclusion, republicanism in the United Kingdom temporarily gained strength, but in the latter half of her reign, her popularity recovered. Her Golden and Diamond Jubilees were times of public celebration. She died on the Isle of Wight in 1901. The last British monarch of the House of Hanover, she was succeeded by her son Edward VII of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Victoria's father was Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, the fourth son of the reigning King of the United Kingdom, George III. Until 1817, Edward's niece, Princess Charlotte of Wales, was the only legitimate grandchild of George III. Her death in 1817 precipitated a succession crisis that brought pressure on the Duke of Kent and his unmarried brothers to marry and have children. In 1818 he married Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, a widowed German princess with two children—Carl (1804–1856) and Feodora (1807–1872)—by her first marriage to the Prince of Leiningen. Her brother Leopold was Princess Charlotte's widower. The Duke and Duchess of Kent's only child, Victoria, was born at 4.15 a.m. on 24 May 1819 at Kensington Palace in London.

Victoria was christened privately by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Charles Manners-Sutton, on 24 June 1819 in the Cupola Room at Kensington Palace. She was baptised Alexandrina after one of her godparents, Emperor Alexander I of Russia, and Victoria, after her mother. Additional names proposed by her parents—Georgina (or Georgiana), Charlotte, and Augusta—were dropped on the instructions of Kent's eldest brother George, Prince Regent.

At birth, Victoria was fifth in the line of succession after the four eldest sons of George III: the Prince Regent (later George IV); Frederick, Duke of York; William, Duke of Clarence (later William IV); and Victoria's father, Edward, Duke of Kent. The Prince Regent had no surviving children, and the Duke of York had no children; further, both were estranged from their wives, who were both past child-bearing age, so the two eldest brothers were unlikely to have any further legitimate children. William and Edward married on the same day in 1818, but both of William's legitimate daughters died as infants. The first of these was Princess Charlotte, who was born and died on 27 March 1819, two months before Victoria was born. Victoria's father died in January 1820, when Victoria was less than a year

In 1897 Queen Victoria antagonized family and court with her relationship with Indian servant Abdul Karim. Originally a waiter the devious and arrogant young man won over the queen by playing on her love of Indian cuisine and romantic view of the country,teaching her Hindistani,whilst she signed letters to him 'Mother',bestowing houses and gifts on him and his family. Already shocked that a Muslim should be at the heart of the court the Royal family stepped in when Victoria announced her desire to knight him and they threatened to have her declared insane if she went ahead. It worked. And in 1901 after the queen's death Karim was banished from Royal circles,returning to India where he died.

It is only appropriate, then, that Queen Victoria, leader and symbol of the age, was the rummest of the lot. Deprived of her passionate marriage to Prince Albert by his untimely and very inconsiderate death, she sublimated her energies into overcomplicating mourning practices for the nation ("What a load of crepe!" they cried from Land's End to John O'Groats), turning the map pink and cultivating disconcertingly deep friendships with unsuitable types. First, as we all know, there was Billy Connolly who, before he became a successful standup comedian, was a ghillie and then personal servant to the Queen. He died of sporran-mite in 1883 and the Queen went on to develop an equally intense friendship with Abdul Karim, a Muslim native of Jhansi in British India, which was unpicked last night in Queen Victoria's Last Love

In the course of their friendship, which spanned the last 14 years of her life, Victoria lavished attention, promotions and delightful, often house-shaped, baubles on Karim, who began his working life with her as a waiter at table and rose to become her personal secretary. It seems to have brought out the worst in everyone. Karim, whose early history suggested he was born a man on the make, became domineering and arrogant. The Royal Household, being already domineering and arrogant, was able to concentrate on becoming furiously resentful of Karim's unprecedented transgression of racial, social and – the thought was always in the air if rarely spoken – sexual boundaries, and uniting against him. Victoria became only more fiercely loyal. The only time she ever gave in was when her son, the Prince of Wales, said he and her doctor would have her declared insane if she went ahead as planned and knighted him. He remained untitled, but at her side until she died. Then they turfed Karim out of his house(s) and burned everything he owned that carried the royal crest, in a raging conflagration of snobbery and racism. He was banished to India and died there a few years later.

The programme was neat, orderly and interesting but never sprang to life as the material could surely have allowed. Everything was covered, but nothing and nobody was pressed. It had that oddly muted air that you often find even now in documentaries about the royals and/or the rich folk around them. Descendants of the protagonists were allowed to tell the family versions of the story without much by way of challenge, alternative viewpoint or fleshed-out background. Everyone preferred to emphasise the class rather than racial aspect of events – the Victorian fetishisation of hierarchy being so much more absurd and palatable to modern tastes than the deep, ingrained prejudices that allow you to colonise all those you perceive as lesser beings. It was all, if you like, terribly British.

Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. On 1 May 1876, she adopted the additional title of Empress of India. Known as the Victorian era, her reign of 63 years and seven months was longer than that of any of her predecessors. It was a period of industrial, cultural, political, scientific, and military change within the United Kingdom, and was marked by a great expansion of the British Empire.

Victoria was the daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (the fourth son of King George III), and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. After both the Duke and his father died in 1820, she was raised under close supervision by her mother and her comptroller, John Conroy. She inherited the throne aged 18 after her father's three elder brothers died without surviving legitimate issue. The United Kingdom was an established constitutional monarchy in which the sovereign held relatively little direct political power. Privately, she attempted to influence government policy and ministerial appointments; publicly, she became a national icon who was identified with strict standards of personal morality.

Victoria married her cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1840. Their children married into royal and noble families across the continent, earning Victoria the sobriquet "the grandmother of Europe" and spreading haemophilia in European royalty. After Albert's death in 1861, Victoria plunged into deep mourning and avoided public appearances. As a result of her seclusion, republicanism in the United Kingdom temporarily gained strength, but in the latter half of her reign, her popularity recovered. Her Golden and Diamond Jubilees were times of public celebration. She died on the Isle of Wight in 1901. The last British monarch of the House of Hanover, she was succeeded by her son Edward VII of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Victoria's father was Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, the fourth son of the reigning King of the United Kingdom, George III. Until 1817, Edward's niece, Princess Charlotte of Wales, was the only legitimate grandchild of George III. Her death in 1817 precipitated a succession crisis that brought pressure on the Duke of Kent and his unmarried brothers to marry and have children. In 1818 he married Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, a widowed German princess with two children—Carl (1804–1856) and Feodora (1807–1872)—by her first marriage to the Prince of Leiningen. Her brother Leopold was Princess Charlotte's widower. The Duke and Duchess of Kent's only child, Victoria, was born at 4.15 a.m. on 24 May 1819 at Kensington Palace in London.

Victoria was christened privately by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Charles Manners-Sutton, on 24 June 1819 in the Cupola Room at Kensington Palace. She was baptised Alexandrina after one of her godparents, Emperor Alexander I of Russia, and Victoria, after her mother. Additional names proposed by her parents—Georgina (or Georgiana), Charlotte, and Augusta—were dropped on the instructions of Kent's eldest brother George, Prince Regent.

At birth, Victoria was fifth in the line of succession after the four eldest sons of George III: the Prince Regent (later George IV); Frederick, Duke of York; William, Duke of Clarence (later William IV); and Victoria's father, Edward, Duke of Kent. The Prince Regent had no surviving children, and the Duke of York had no children; further, both were estranged from their wives, who were both past child-bearing age, so the two eldest brothers were unlikely to have any further legitimate children. William and Edward married on the same day in 1818, but both of William's legitimate daughters died as infants. The first of these was Princess Charlotte, who was born and died on 27 March 1819, two months before Victoria was born. Victoria's father died in January 1820, when Victoria was less than a year

Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. On 1 May 1876, she adopted the additional title of Empress of India. Known as the Victorian era, her reign of 63 years and seven months was longer than that of any of her predecessors. It was a period of industrial, cultural, political, scientific, and military change within the United Kingdom, and was marked by a great expansion of the British Empire.

Victoria was the daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (the fourth son of King George III), and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. After both the Duke and his father died in 1820, she was raised under close supervision by her mother and her comptroller, John Conroy. She inherited the throne aged 18 after her father's three elder brothers died without surviving legitimate issue. The United Kingdom was an established constitutional monarchy in which the sovereign held relatively little direct political power. Privately, she attempted to influence government policy and ministerial appointments; publicly, she became a national icon who was identified with strict standards of personal morality.

Victoria married her cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1840. Their children married into royal and noble families across the continent, earning Victoria the sobriquet "the grandmother of Europe" and spreading haemophilia in European royalty. After Albert's death in 1861, Victoria plunged into deep mourning and avoided public appearances. As a result of her seclusion, republicanism in the United Kingdom temporarily gained strength, but in the latter half of her reign, her popularity recovered. Her Golden and Diamond Jubilees were times of public celebration. She died on the Isle of Wight in 1901. The last British monarch of the House of Hanover, she was succeeded by her son Edward VII of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Victoria's father was Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, the fourth son of the reigning King of the United Kingdom, George III. Until 1817, Edward's niece, Princess Charlotte of Wales, was the only legitimate grandchild of George III. Her death in 1817 precipitated a succession crisis that brought pressure on the Duke of Kent and his unmarried brothers to marry and have children. In 1818 he married Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, a widowed German princess with two children—Carl (1804–1856) and Feodora (1807–1872)—by her first marriage to the Prince of Leiningen. Her brother Leopold was Princess Charlotte's widower. The Duke and Duchess of Kent's only child, Victoria, was born at 4.15 a.m. on 24 May 1819 at Kensington Palace in London.

Victoria was christened privately by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Charles Manners-Sutton, on 24 June 1819 in the Cupola Room at Kensington Palace. She was baptised Alexandrina after one of her godparents, Emperor Alexander I of Russia, and Victoria, after her mother. Additional names proposed by her parents—Georgina (or Georgiana), Charlotte, and Augusta—were dropped on the instructions of Kent's eldest brother George, Prince Regent.

At birth, Victoria was fifth in the line of succession after the four eldest sons of George III: the Prince Regent (later George IV); Frederick, Duke of York; William, Duke of Clarence (later William IV); and Victoria's father, Edward, Duke of Kent. The Prince Regent had no surviving children, and the Duke of York had no children; further, both were estranged from their wives, who were both past child-bearing age, so the two eldest brothers were unlikely to have any further legitimate children. William and Edward married on the same day in 1818, but both of William's legitimate daughters died as infants. The first of these was Princess Charlotte, who was born and died on 27 March 1819, two months before Victoria was born. Victoria's father died in January 1820, when Victoria was less than a year