VICTORIA: QUEEN,WIFE, MOTHER
Queen Victoria is one of Britain’s most iconic monarchs. Her 63-year rule surpassed any of her predecessors and was only surpassed by Queen Elizabeth II in 2015. Her rule saw Britain and its empire undergo massive change – physically, in terms of its size, and socially, too, as society was brought into the modern age.
As well as her long reign, Victoria shares another similarity with Elizabeth II, as professor Sarah Richardson explains – neither was meant to be queen. “Like our own queen, Elizabeth II, Victoria grew up not expecting to inherit the throne. It was only when Elizabeth’s uncle, Edward VIII, abdicated that her father, George, became king.
