*review copy*
Queen Victoria was the longest-reigning British monarch until Queen Elizabeth II broke that record. She became Queen just one month after turning 18, and she would reign until her death in 1901 at the age of 81. She married her first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, on 10 February 1840, and they went on to have nine children together. She was very much in love with him, and his early death in 1861 devastated her.
Queen Victoria After Albert: Her Life and Loves by Ilana D. Miller starts with a focus on Queen Victoria, but it takes over 70 pages (about a third of the book) for Prince Albert to die. For a book with the title “Queen Victoria After Albert”, this seems to be rather strange. Then, we get lost in the whirlwind of her children’s marriages and her grandchildren’s marriages. The book also continues to use one of my biggest pet peeves… nicknames for everyone. This seems to be especially prevalent in books about Queen Victoria and her descendants. It makes for a rather confusing book, and it seems to lose its focus on the main subject – Queen Victoria. I did enjoy reading about her relationships with her various prime ministers.
You can tell that the author is knowledgeable, the information is all factual, and there is an abundant amount of footnotes. However, I would say there are better books out there about Queen Victoria.
Queen Victoria After Albert: Her Life and Loves by Ilana D. Miller is available now in the US and the UK.
Be the first to comment