Queen Victoria, 1819 - 1901. Reigned 1837 – 1901

As a young monarch, Victoria relied for advice and support upon her Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne. After her marriage to Prince Albert, her husband was the dominant influence: Victoria was head of state, but the Prince Consort was head of the family. Victoria’s devotion to and dependence on Albert was cruelly curtailed by his premature death in 1861. She withdrew from public life for almost twenty years. It was another of her ‘heroes’ - her faithful Scottish retainer and great friend, John Brown - who persuaded ‘the widow of Windsor’ to resume her public duties. When Victoria died, she was buried with souvenirs of Prince Albert and their children in her coffin. In her left hand was placed a ph...