NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The perfect companion to the PBS Masterpiece series Victoria • A gripping account of Queen Victoria’s rise and early years in power from CNN’s official royal historian “Kate Williams has perfected the art of historical biography. Her pacy writing is underpinned by the most impeccable scholarship.”—Alison Weir In 1819, a girl was born to the fourth son of King George … girl was born to the fourth son of King George III. No one could have expected such an unassuming, overprotected girl to be an effective ruler—yet Queen Victoria would become one of the most powerful monarchs in history.
Writing with novelistic flair and historical precision, Kate Williams reveals a vibrant woman in the prime of her life, while chronicling the byzantine machinations that continued even after the crown was placed on her head. Upon hearing that she had inherited the throne, eighteen-year-old Victoria banished her overambitious mother from the room, a simple yet resolute move that would set the tone for her reign. The queen clashed constantly not only with her mother and her mother’s adviser, the Irish adventurer John Conroy, but with her ministers and even her beloved Prince Albert—all of whom attempted to seize control from her.
Williams lays bare the passions that swirled around the throne—the court secrets, the sexual repression, and the endless intrigue. The result is a grand tale of a woman whose destiny began long before she was born and whose legacy lives on.
Praise for Becoming Queen Victoria
“An informative, entertaining, gossipy tale.”—Publishers Weekly
“A great read . . . With lively writing, Ms. Williams [makes] the story fresh and appealing.”—The Washington Times
“Sparkling, engaging.”—Open Letters Monthly
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Talk about dysfunctional families, this book is history at its most entertaining. George III, Victoria’s grandfather, who was the monarch during the time of our American Revolution, became quite mad. Of his 4 sons, all of whom can be described as dissolute and not inclined toward respectable marriages, only one of them (the future George IV) …
We think of Queen Victoria as a middle aged, formal person who insisted on formalaity and rigid modesty. This book shows the reader there is much more to the queen who led the British Empire for 60 years. Beginning with the profligate children of George III, the book describes the personalities of the royal family, the intrigues, marriages, and …
Sheds a lot of light on how and why both Princesses were so important to the country. I disagree with some reviewers who think the Princess Caroline section is too long and involved. Without understanding Caroline’s life and death, you really cannot understand why Victoria was born and why the stakes were so high for her successful upbringing, …
I did not buy or read this book
This was a very informative biography of an interesting historical figure
Book is not really about Queen V. it’s more about the tragic life of Princess C. Book stops with Queen V’s marriage.
The book kept my interest. I was not expecting it to be that interested, but I could not put it down. Even though the book did not get to Queen Victoria right away…. the journey to that point was fascinating.
Not big into the English, but their monarchy is somewhat fascinating to read about; although makes me happy that we have what we have. This book was really a good read on how Victoria, way down in the food chain for assuming the monarchy, moved steadily up until, her uncle, King William the IV, died and she became Queen. It was interesting to …
Excellent biography.
I found the book very interesting, but would have liked more about her family life after her children were born, after Albert passed away, and to the end of her reign
Very well written and researched. I was a little bored at the level of detail regarding other relatives of Queen Victoria but realized that you had to understand all that had preceded her to fully understand Victoria.
way too many dates and didnt even get to victoria until over half the book was read,,,even then it was very superficial. waste of money
This book was very informative and, because I am interested in English history, entertaining enough to hold my interest until the end.
After watching Victoria on PBS i decided to read this historical book about her life. Its hard to read, parts of it are boring and about sleazy people but it really provides a background about some of the main characters in the PBS show. Im going to watch the videos of the show now that I have a better understanding of whose who! Well documented …
I enjoyed this book but it was a long time getting to Queen Victoria. I did not know much about Princess Charlotte so that was informative. I did think we could have heard less about all Victoria’s dreadful uncles!
Wonderful source for a condensed history of the British royal line and the choices of its members in the decades leading up to Victoria’s birth. Her own biography is succinct in this volume. How she came to be born and her early life experiences are put in context. Victoria’s decisions about how to live out her place in history marked an era, …