Queen Victoria

Crowned the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland at age 18, Queen Victoria had served as a monarch for nearly 64 years by the time she passed away in 1901. During her reign, the United Kingdom experienced significant industrial, cultural, political, scientific, and military upheaval.

While many people think of Queen Victoria as a strong, honorable widow, Strachey portrays her as a passionate, outspoken, comical, and unusual woman. Strachey also focuses on the personal interactions of the Queen with some key political figures during her reign, namely Lord Melbourne; Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount of Palmerston (Foreign Minister Lord Palmerston); Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone; and Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli.

The author also dedicated portions of the book to Prince Albert, portraying him as an intelligent and interesting character and a loving husband to whom Queen Victoria remained utterly devoted long after his death in 1861.

‘Queen Victoria’ the exceptionally written biography of Queen Victoria by Lytton Strachey was first published in 1918. Strachey was a well-known English author, biographer, Bloomsbury group member, and literary critic. To this day, Strachey’s book is regarded as an authoritative biography of Queen Victoria, having won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 1921.