The Private Life of Victoria. Queen, Empress, Mother of the Nation: Alexander Macdonald

When Victoria was born in 1819, no one expected her to become queen. But when William IV died in 1837 without a legitimate child of his own to succeed him, the role fell to her.

Headstrong and eccentric, this 18-year-old girl was just 4ft 11in tall. On the face of it, she didn’t appear to be cut out for monarchy. But Victoria s devotion to duty and her long reign would come to be seen as an outstanding example of British success, heralding an age of industrial growth and the expansion of a worldwide empire.

Based on her own words, this is the story of the life and loves of a remarkable woman whose reign left an enduring mark on Britain and the world.