Queen Victoria remains a remarkable figure in history - not only for having been the longest reigning British monarch, but also as the figurehead of a vast empire, and as the inspiration for a highly complex culture.
She was born on 24 May 1819, the only child of Edward, Duke of Kent, and Victoria Maria Louisa of Saxe-Coburg. She succeeded her uncle, William IV, in 1837, at the age of 18, and her reign dominated the rest of the century.
In 1840 Victoria married her first cousin, Albert of Saxe-Coburg Gotha. For the next 20 years they lived in close harmony and had a family of nine children, many of whom eventually married into the European monarchy.
On her accession, the morale of the population was low and the monarchy was unpopular, but Victoria won the nation's hearts with her modesty and practicality.…
