Dominated by her possessive mother and her bullying consort,Conroy, since
childhood, teen-aged Victoria refuses to allow them the power of acting as
her regent in the last days of her uncle, William IV's rule. Her German
cousin Albert is encouraged to court her for solely political motives but,
following her accession at age eighteen, finds he is falling for her and is
dismayed at her reliance on trusty premier Melbourne. Victoria is impressed
by Albert's philanthropy which is akin to her own desire to help her
subjects. However her loyalty to Melbourne, perceived as a self-seeker,
almost causes a constitutional crisis and it is Albert who helps restore
her self-confidence.She proposes and they marry, Albert proving himself not
only a devoted spouse,prepared to take an assassin's bullet for her, but an
agent of much-needed reform, finally endorsed by an admiring Melbourne.
A young woman comes of age, a queen and no one's puppet. We watch Victoria
(1819-1901) navigate amidst many who want to control her, starting with her
mother. The Kings of England and Belgium have picked mates for her: she
examines her choices and prefers Albert, a Saxon Prince, Belgium's choice.
She's also in the thrall of Lord Melbourne, Prime Minister when at 18 she
takes the throne. She's lost when his party is beaten; her stubbornness in
political and personal affairs nearly undoes her authority and marriage.
It's Albert's help she accepts; counseled by the king's widow, Victoria
finds something for Albert to do, and in the process, finds balance and
social purpose.
Within a month or so after her 18th birthday, Princess Victoria ascends to
the throne on the death of her uncle, King William IV. She did not have a
happy childhood, forced to live under what became known as the Kensington
Rules: she was never allowed to be alone or play with other children, slept
in the same room as her mother and was not permitted to walk on a staircase
without someone holding her hand. Her mother's private secretary, Sir John
Conroy, tried to force her to sign an agreement that would make her mother
Regent until Victoria reached the age of 25. Despite the pressure and
physical threats, she stood her ground and refused. As Queen, Victoria
starts off well and now independent of her mother, makes her own rules. She
does commit a grave error however when she rejects the new Prime Minister's
request that he name her new ladies in waiting and he resigns leading to
riots in the streets. She had already met the handsome Prince Albert and
they eventually marry but troubles arise early on when his role in her life
is called into question. The Queen finds a solution and theirs proved to be
a very happy relationship
