Background
Julia Baird’s biography of Queen Victoria was published in late 2016 and was named one of the best books of the year on Amazon but I couldn’t find the reference. I did find this though. Not every monarch has a whole era named after them but Victoria was ruled for a long time and over a time of great change and expansion. This book takes us from her birth to her death and gives the context through those years.
My Thoughts
I guess the biggest revelation was that she was short and plump. I knew about her being linked to hemophilia but didn’t know she was in as good of health as she was purported to be. I also didn’t know how devoted to her husband she was. I don’t recall the name Albert being linked to her at any point before. I had heard to John Brown though and I had no idea of how much of her life was edited by her daughter.
Reading about the royal families is difficult. I wish I had started with this before I read Elizabeth II’s autobiography. It would have made a lot more sense having this background.
Recommendations
An interesting read. I would recommend it if you are interested in the Queen.