Character guide

Queen Victoria

major

Also known as Victoria, little Vic, The Queen, Vic, Alexandrina Victoria, Drina, the Princess Victoria

The monarch and central figure of the book, whose reign and personal life are chronicled.

Prince Albert

major

Also known as Albert, Bertie, the Prince Consort, Prince Francis Charles Augustus Albert, Lovely Albert

Victoria's beloved husband and consort, deeply influential in her reign and family life.

Lord Melbourne

major

Also known as Melbourne, Lord M., M., William Lamb, Viscount Melbourne

Victoria's first Prime Minister and trusted mentor during her early reign.

Sir Robert Peel

supporting

Also known as Peel, good Sir Robert

Prime Minister who succeeded Melbourne and managed Victoria's early constitutional crises.

Lord Palmerston

supporting

Also known as Palmerston, Viscount Palmerston, H. J. Temple

Dominant Foreign Secretary and later Prime Minister, often clashing with Victoria.

King Leopold

supporting

Also known as Leopold, Uncle Leopold, the wily old King

Victoria's uncle and King of the Belgians, a key advisor and correspondent.

Baron Stockmar

supporting

Also known as Stockmar, Christian Friedrich Stockmar, the Baron, young Dr. Stockmar

Trusted physician and advisor to both Leopold and the British royal family.

Duchess of Kent

supporting

Also known as The new Duchess of Kent, the Duchess of Kent, Victoire

Victoria's mother, who raised her in a sheltered environment under the Kensington System.

Baroness Lehzen

supporting

Also known as Lehzen, Fraulein Lehzen, dear Lehzen, the Baroness Lehzen

Victoria's beloved governess and companion, later dismissed by Albert.

Benjamin Disraeli

supporting

Also known as Disraeli, Mr. Disraeli, Lord Beaconsfield, Earl of Beaconsfield

Prime Minister and favorite of Victoria, who made him Earl of Beaconsfield.

William Ewart Gladstone

supporting

Also known as Mr. Gladstone, William Ewart Gladstone

Victoria's frequent Prime Minister, with whom she had a famously difficult relationship.

Lord John Russell

supporting

Also known as Lord John

Whig Prime Minister and reformer during Victoria's middle reign.

Prince Ernest

minor

Also known as Ernest, the Princes Ernest and Albert, Ernest II

Albert's older brother and Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Princess Charlotte

minor

Also known as Charlotte, the Princess Charlotte

Victoria's cousin and heir presumptive, whose death led to Victoria's birth.

King William IV

minor

Also known as IV King William, King William

Victoria's uncle and predecessor, who died shortly after her 18th birthday.

Duke of Wellington

minor

Also known as the Duke of Wellington, the Duke

Military hero and elder statesman who served as a mentor to Victoria.

Lady Flora Hastings

minor

Also known as Lady Flora, the Hastings

Lady-in-waiting whose false pregnancy scandal rocked Victoria's early court.

Sir John Conroy

minor

Also known as Conroy, Sir John

Comptroller of the Duchess of Kent's household, whom Victoria deeply distrusted.

Princess Alice

minor

Also known as Alice, the Princess Alice

Victoria's second daughter, who nursed Albert during his final illness.

John Brown

minor

Also known as Brown

Victoria's loyal Scottish servant and close companion in her widowhood.

Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg

minor

Also known as Prince Leopold, Coburg, the young and handsome Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg

Younger son of King Leopold, briefly considered as a husband for Victoria.

Lord Derby

minor

Also known as Derby

Conservative Prime Minister who served three brief terms.

Lord Clarendon

minor

Also known as the Fourth Earl of Clarendon

Foreign Secretary under Palmerston and Russell.

General Charles Grey

minor

Also known as General Grey

Victoria's private secretary and trusted advisor.

Sir James Clark

minor

Also known as Sir James, Clark

Royal physician involved in the Lady Flora Hastings scandal.

Charles Greville

minor

Also known as Mr. Greville, Greville

Clerk to the Privy Council and diarist of Victorian politics.

Louis Philippe

minor

King of the French who was deposed in 1848 and fled to England.

Napoleon III

minor

Also known as Napoleon, Louis Napoleon

Emperor of the French and frequent subject of Victoria's diplomacy.

Otto von Bismarck

minor

Also known as Bismarck, Grant Bismarck

Prussian Chancellor who unified Germany and interacted with Victoria.

Prince Arthur

minor

Also known as Arthur

Victoria's third son, later Duke of Connaught.

Princess Beatrice

minor

Also known as Beatrice

Victoria's youngest daughter and constant companion in later life.

Prince of Wales

minor

Also known as the Prince of Wales, Bertie

Victoria's eldest son and heir, later Edward VII.

Feodora

minor

Victoria's half-sister, who married and moved to Germany.

Lady Lyttelton

minor

Lady-in-waiting and governess to Victoria's children.

George Anson

minor

Also known as Anson

Prince Albert's private secretary.

Sir Theodore Martin

minor

Also known as Theodore Martin, Mr. Martin, Sir Theodore

Author of the official biography of Prince Albert.

Thomas Creevey

minor

Also known as Mr. Creevey

Politician and diarist whose memoirs are cited in the book.

Lady Cowper

minor

Society hostess and sister of Lord Palmerston.

Queen Adelaide

minor

Also known as Poor Queen Adelaide

Widow of William IV, who had a strained relationship with Victoria.

Duke of Kent

minor

Also known as the Late Duke of Kent

Victoria's father, who died shortly after her birth.

Lord Granville

minor

Liberal Foreign Secretary and ambassador.

Sir Arthur Helps

minor

Also known as A. Helps

Clerk of the Privy Council and editor of Victoria's letters.

Lady Churchill

minor

Also known as Churchill

Lady-in-waiting and close friend of Victoria.

General Schreckenstein

minor

Prince Albert's former military tutor.

Baron Bunsen

minor

Prussian ambassador to London and friend of Albert.

Mr. Gladstone

minor

Also known as William Ewart Gladstone

Liberal statesman and frequent Prime Minister.

Lord Salisbury

minor

Also known as Salisbury

Conservative Prime Minister in Victoria's later years.

Duke of Clarence

minor

Also known as Clarence

Victoria's uncle, later William IV.

Duke of York

minor

Also known as York

Victoria's uncle, known for military scandals.

George IV

minor

Also known as George, Prinny

Victoria's uncle and predecessor as king.

George III

minor

Also known as George

Victoria's grandfather, who reigned during her childhood.

Prince Augustus

minor

Also known as Augustus, Francis, Charles, August

Prince Albert's uncle and a Coburg family member.

Madame St. Laurent

minor

Long-time mistress of the Duke of Kent.

Lady Jane Ellice

minor

Also known as Jane

Lady-in-waiting who witnessed the 1840 assassination attempt.

Edward Oxford

minor

Also known as Edward

First of several men who attempted to assassinate Victoria.

Lieutenant Robert Pate

minor

Also known as Pate

Former army officer who struck Victoria with a cane.

Roderick Maclean

minor

Also known as Maclean

Last of Victoria's would-be assassins, tried for treason.

Mr. Gilbert Scott

minor

Also known as Mr. Scott

Architect who designed the Albert Memorial.

Sir Edwin Landseer

minor

Also known as Landseer

Painter and sculptor who created the lions in Trafalgar Square.

Felix Mendelssohn

minor

German composer who visited and performed for Victoria and Albert.

Charlotte Brontë

minor

Novelist who met Victoria and wrote about her.

Matthew Arnold

minor

Poet and critic who wrote about Victoria's court.

Alfred Lord Tennyson

minor

Also known as Tennyson

Poet Laureate who wrote poems about Victoria and Albert.

Charles Kean

minor

Also known as Mr. Charles Kean, old Kean

Actor-manager who performed for the royal family.

Marie Taglioni

minor

Famous ballerina who danced for Victoria.

Luigi Lablache

minor

Opera singer who performed at Victoria's coronation.

Fanny Kemble

minor

Actress and writer who performed Shakespeare for Victoria.

John Thadeus Delane

minor

Also known as Mr. Delane

Editor of The Times during Victoria's reign.

Sir Charles Dilke

minor

Radical politician and republican who criticized the monarchy.

Lord Brougham

minor

Also known as Brougham

Whig statesman and Lord Chancellor.

Lord Aberdeen

minor

Also known as Aberdeen, Old Aberdeen

Prime Minister during the Crimean War.

Lord Durham

minor

Also known as the bold Lord Durham

Whig statesman and governor general of Canada.

Prince Alexander of Battenberg

minor

Also known as Prince Alexander, Al

Prince of Bulgaria whose marriage to Victoria's granddaughter was blocked.

General Haynau

minor

Also known as The Austrian General Haynau

Austrian general attacked by British workers for his brutality.

Prince Metternich

minor

Also known as old Metternich

Austrian statesman who shaped European politics before 1848.

Queen Isabella II

minor

Also known as Isabella, Queen Isabella

Queen of Spain whose marriage caused diplomatic intrigue.

Queen Maria II of Portugal

minor

Also known as Queen Maria II of

Queen of Portugal and cousin of Victoria.

Tsar Nicholas I

minor

Also known as the tremendous Nicholas

Russian tsar who visited Victoria and later fought in the Crimean War.

Robert Owen

minor

Also known as Owen

Social reformer and utopian socialist.

John Henry Foley

minor

Also known as Mr. Foley

Sculptor who created the Albert Memorial statue.