And as science, technology, and democracy were dramatically reshaping the world, Victoria was a symbol of steadfastness and security–queen of a quarter of the world’s population at the height of the British Empire’s reach. She survived eight assassination attempts over the course of her lifetime. After the death of her adored Albert, she began a controversial, intimate relationship with her servant John Brown. She was outspoken with her ministers, overstepping conventional boundaries and asserting her opinions. At twenty, she fell passionately in love with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, eventually giving birth to nine children. As a teenage queen, she eagerly grasped the crown and relished the freedom it brought her. As a girl, she defied her mother’s meddling and an adviser’s bullying, forging an iron will of her own. Fifth in line to the throne at the time of her birth, Victoria was an ordinary woman thrust into an extraordinary role. In a world where women were often powerless, during a century roiling with change, Victoria went on to rule the most powerful country on earth with a decisive hand. The Industrial Revolution was transforming the landscape, and the British Empire was commanding ever larger tracts of the globe. In Britain, a generation of royals had indulged their whims at the public’s expense, and republican sentiment was growing. Revolution would threaten many of Europe’s monarchies in the coming decades. When Victoria was born, in 1819, the world was a very different place.

Victoria The Queen by Julia Baird