Victoria the Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an

For 63 years, Victoria (1819–1901) ruled Great Britain, during a period of unparalleled invention and expansion of the Empire, marked mostly by peace. Baird, an Australian journalist and historian, uncovers new information for this carefully researched biography, to present a feminist view that disputes the idea of a queen who abdicated her responsibilities to live in perpetual sadness after the early death of her husband, Albert. Instead, Baird contends that Victoria, while very happy as a subservient wife, emerged from mourning to rule for another 40 years, actively engaging in matters of state and battling with Williams Gladstone, one of her prime ministers, whom she loathed. She even survived several attempts on her life. Mother of nine children, six born in six years, Victoria hated pregnancy and childbirth and pioneered the use of chloroform during labor. She had a relationship suspected to be sexual with her Scottish servant John Brown, one detail among many covered up by the royal family. Lucy Rayner narrates in a clear British dialect.