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Published Jan 2019
432 pages
Genre: History, Current Affairs and Religion
Publication Information
The story of the queen who defied convention and defined an era.
Perhaps one of the best known of the English monarchs, Queen Victoria forever shaped a chapter of English history, bequeathing her name to the Victorian age. In Queen Victoria, Lucy Worsley introduces this iconic woman in a new light. Going beyond an exploration of the Queen merely as a monarch, Worsley considers Victoria as a woman leading a truly extraordinary life in a unique time period. The book is structured around the various roles that Victoria inhabited― a daughter raised to wield power, a loving but tempestuous wife, a controlling mother, and a cunning widow―all while wearing the royal crown.
Far from a proto-feminist, Queen Victoria was socially conservative and never supported women's rights. And yet, Victoria thwarted the strict rules of womanhood that defined the era to which she gave her name. She was passionate, selfish, and moody, boldly defying the will of politicians who sought to control her and emotionally controlling her family for decades. How did the woman who defined Victorian womanhood also manage to defy its conventions?
Drawing from the vast collection of Victoria's correspondence and the rich documentation of her life, Worsley recreates twenty-four of the most important days in Victoria's life including her parents' wedding day, the day she met Albert, her own wedding day, the birth of her first child, a Windsor Christmas, the death of Prince Albert, and many more. Each day gives a glimpse into the identity of this powerful, difficult queen as a wife and widow, mother and matriarch, and above all, a woman of her time.
"Starred Review. An utterly enjoyable account of Victoria's familial relationships." - Kirkus Reviews
"Worsley's command of the material and elegant writing style make this a must-read for anyone interested in the British monarchy." - Publisher's Weekly
"The glory of this book is in the details, and the specific moments, that Worsley chooses to single out for mention, and in her cheerful voice as she leads us by the hand to the next window of Victoria's life calendar." - The Times (UK)
"Worsley gives us Victoria in all her infinite variety―queen and mother, matriach and minx. I loved " - Daisy Goodwin, author of The American Heiress, The Fortune Hunter and Victoria: A Novel
"A wonderfully fresh, vivid and engaging portrait." - Jane Ridley, author of Bertie: A Life of Edward VII
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Lucy Worsley OBE is Chief Curator at the charity Historic Royal Palaces. She also presents history documentaries for the BBC. Her bestselling books include Queen Victoria; Jane Austen at Home; The Art of the English Murder; and If Walls Could Talk: An Intimate History of the Home. In 2019, her BBC One program Suffragettes with Lucy Worsley won a BAFTA. She lives in England.
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