I was a bit disappointed. The book describes at length the events and the perspective of the Queen and the Royal Family but does not put in perspective of the evolution of Royal versus parliamentary power in Britain . I think that the fact that Victoria more or less stood back from active involvement on government for 15 years and more allowed the British Constitution to develop towards the constitutional monarchy of today.
Early in the book there is discussion of Albert intervening in foreign policy decisions to avoid a war with USA over trade blockades during the civil war. By the end of Victoria's reign it would have been inconceivable that the monarch would have this role. This was not discussed in book. ( )

I found the first half of the book really interesting and the second half overlong and a little repetitive, but worth the read 3.5 * ( )

I struggled with this book. I am a big fan of Victorian History, but this on was more like reading a thesis than a book. The best part of the book for me was the summary at the very end that talked about what Albert really died from. ( )

Quite interesting, especially when I learned more about Albert’s shyness and discomfort during social gatherings; how he wanted to go to bed early, how he was perceived as cold and remote and how much his adopted country disliked him for being The German. All this applied equally well to his grand daughter, Alexandra Tsarina of Russia. I kept thinking, wow, she was a lot like Albert. Her apple didn’t fall very far away from his tree.

Victoria’s self indulgent mourning looks colossally selfish. I sometimes wonder, what would have happened if Bertie were crueler and more forceful? An ordinary woman might have ended up locked away in a remote country attic for being insane.

Fortunately for the nation, Victoria did eventually pull herself together and rule, and we all think of her as the wise old Grandmother Queen.

This book gives an intimate insight into the marriage between Queen Victoria of England and Prince Consort Albert of Cox-Saxonburg. Queen Victoria was willing to let Albert rule for her and when he died, she was plunged into a monumental grief. She used that grief as a way to make Albert bigger than life with all the statuary and buildings she erected in his name. Some of the monuments - such as the Royal Albert Hall - were Albert's idea and started during his lifetime.
This book shows how grief eventually molded the Queen into the monarch we know through history. This book was well researched and anyone who is a student of the English Monarchy or who is simply and Anglophile, should read this book. ( )