Queen Victoria: A Life of Contradictions

A fresh, witty, accessible life of Queen Victoria. Not since Lytton Strachey has the irony, contradictions and influence of this Queen been treated with such flourish or biographical insight. Reigning over a lifetime, Queen Victoria embodied the spirit of the contradictory era to which she lent her name. She championed modern art and photography but resisted education for the working classes and woman’s suffrage; she advocated cultural imperialism, tempered by imperial compassion; in her deference to her husband Prince Albert and her protracted mourning of his death, she combined wifely submission with regal obstinacy. Original and accessible, ‘Queen Victoria’ is a compelling assessment of the ruler’s mercurial character, her key relationships and her impact on her own age and beyond. This top biography of Queen Victoria, written by Matthew Dennison, is a must-read for anyone interested in royalty. It's not just a simple autobiography, but a deep dive into the life of one of the best and most influential queens in history. For fans of Tom Holland (Athelstan), Adrian Keith Goldsworthy (Philip and Alexander), Christina Croft (Alice, The Enigma), Alexander Larman (The Windsors at War), and Hallie Rubenhold (Story of a Murder).