Top 16 Books About Queen Victoria Updated 04 /2024

CHILDHOOD

The Young Victoria by Alison Plowden

Her father Prince Edward died before she reached her first birthday. Victoria was born at Kensington Palace in London on May 24, 1819, and she died before she turned one. When Victoria was very young, she knew she would one day be queen because she was heir to the throne. The Young Victoria looks into the conflicting desires of the people who looked after the princesses, including her mother, Victoria, and her household comptroller, John Conroy. They came up with the Kensington System of rules for the young Victoria's upbringing.

This book is both beautiful and well-researched. It looks into the birth and early life of one of the most well-known British monarchs, Queen Victoria (1819–1901). A lot of new information about Victoria's early years comes from a lot of different sources and images that haven't been seen before. In this section, there are portraits of the queen as a princess, her childhood diaries and sketchbooks, her clothes, jewelry, and other things that show her.

When Deirdre Murphy talks about Victoria's early years, she paints a picture that is very clear. One of her most surprising ideas is that the queen's mythology of a sad and isolated childhood isn't as accurate as people think. A lot of what happened in Victoria's personal life is brought to life in this book! From the Duchess of Kent's love for her daughter to the control Sir John Conroy had over her, to the romance with Prince Albert, it's a great read. Less well-known people are also looked at, like Victoria's first schoolmaster, her governess Louise Lehzen, and her half-sister Feodora. This group of people adds to our picture of Victoria, who we see as both willful and submissive, fickle and affectionate, and with the fiery temper of her Hanoverian ancestors.

REIGN

Becoming Queen Victoria: the unexpected rise of Britain’s Greatest Monarch by Kate Williams 

It began on June 20, 1837, when her uncle William IV died. She ruled until her death on January 22, 1901. In Becoming Queen Victoria, Kate Williams talks about how Victoria banished her controlling mother to the sidelines when she took the throne. She also talks about how the new queen gained more confidence and power. There is also a study of the people who tried to take power from Victoria, like her ministers and her husband, Prince Albert.

PERSONALITY

Queen Victoria: Daughter, Wife, Mother, Widow by Dr Lucy Worsley

Lucy Worsley's new history book looks at Victoria's many family roles and how society's expectations affected how the queen behaved even in a family and domestic setting. Lucy takes 24 days from Victoria's life and shows us how, despite the popular belief that she was very conservative, she was actually a trailblazer for the women who came after her.

INSIGHT

Queen Victoria: a personal history by Christopher Hibbert

A personal history that covers the 64 years of Queen Victoria's reign. It looks at how she became a monarch in the midst of royal disputes, rebellions in other countries, the death of monarchs, and the rise of Britain as a dominant industrial power. It's also important to look at the queen's personal relationships, especially the ones with her husband Prince Albert and her servant John Brown.

EMPIRE

Victoria: The Queen – an intimate biography of the woman who ruled an empire by Julia Baird

That's what this award-winning biography looks at. It shows how a young woman who became queen at 18 went on to rule a country that was a very powerful one at the time. Julia Baird, the author of the book, focuses on Victoria's relationship with John Brown. She also uses sources to show how she balanced her family life with the demands of her job as monarch.

MARRIAGE

My dearest, dearest Albert: Queen Victoria’s life through her letters and journals by Karen Dolby

A look at what we can learn about Queen Victoria's life and relationships by reading her own letters and journals is the main point of this study. In her book, Karen Dolby reads excerpts from the 122 volumes Victoria kept of her diary, as well as her personal letters, to find out how she felt about her husband and children, how she thought about the people she came into contact with, and how she thought about both local and global issues. Victoria kept a diary from the age of 13.

OVERVIEW

Victoria: A Life by A.N. Wilson

Victoria is the subject of an award-winning biography written by A.N. Wilson. The book looks at the many contradictions in the queen's personality and tries to change long-held beliefs about her life and reign. The author sees Victoria as a "brave, original woman," not the hysterical egomaniac some other authors have made her out to be.

INDIA

Empress: Queen Victoria and India by Miles Taylor

Victoria's rule in India is looked at by Miles Taylor, who looks at the queen's entire reign, not just the last years of her life that we usually think of when we think of India. There was a real love for India in both Victoria and Albert. When Victoria became empress, she helped India become more modern in both its politics and economy, the author says.

CHILDREN

Queen Victoria’s Children by John Van der Kiste

Albert and Victoria had nine children together. Each of them was born into a life of royal privilege, and some of them married into Europe's most important families, giving birth to descendants who still live today. Queen Victoria's Children looks at the personality and character of each of the children. It also looks at how each child's role in the royal family shaped their character.

LEGACY

Grandmama of Europe: The crowned descendants of Queen Victoria by Theo Aronson

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert have more than 700 grandchildren, making Victoria the "grandmother of Europe." The late Theo Aronson talks about the many families on the mainland of Europe who can say that Queen Victoria is their ancestor. He also talks about the complicated bloodlines of the royal families of Europe.

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