Victoria: The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire by Julia Baird

This book was used as the basis for the PBS Masterpiece series Victoria and watching season 1 made me want to read the source material.

Queen Victoria was stronger than she ever realized. Her mother and her mother's confidant Conroy, tried to run her life and then take control of her reign. This sheltered and what seems like an abusive upbringing helped shape her. She needed and wanted to be loved and cared for and her beloved Albert did that. He helped her be out from under her mother and Conroy's control. He loved her, without a doubt it is clear he did. But he was a man of his time and he wanted to be in charge, to be the ruler. And she gave much of her control over to him.

It is an interesting dynamic that seemed to repeat with many of the men in her life over the years. Her desire to be cared for and loved made her vulnerable.

Baird does a really good job at making the life of Victoria come to life on the pages of this substantial tome. She tells the story of the girl-Queen in such a way that you can feel the conflicts, the pain, the love, the life and losses of her very long reign.


Victoria was a strong woman in a power position during a time when women had no real power and so men struggled under her rule. She had her own opinions but would often be ignored or gone around by the men around her. Complicated would be an accurate description of her life. Her children and other protectors destroyed much of her personal writings/letters to protect her so piecing together her story was a true labor and isn't now and probably won't ever be complete. But this is a really interesting look into the incredible story of a young girl who so improbably became queen.

(Finished March 5, 2017)