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That's 20% off your first purchase with Code Short History at LiquidIV. It's the morning of June 20, 1837. A gray haired man and his horse canter briskly through the streets of London. They pass along the sandy track of the Mall, past Buckingham palace and into the fields of Hyde Park. The rider hears the chime of a church clock and digs his heels into the horse, urging it to go faster. It's already 11:15 and he's late. Squinting in the morning sun, he tears past carriages and families out for their morning strolls, not even pausing to tip his hat. Finally, he sees his destination looming in the distance. Kensington Palace. The man slows his horse to a stop at the gates. He swings himself down from the saddle and hands the reins to a servant. Inside, a series of corridors lead him to a grand set of doors. An attendant opens them and he enters a room filled with smartly dressed men, all looking as austere as the occasion requires. Rays of sunshine pour through the windows, glittering on the polished floor and illuminating the oil paintings and priceless antiques. Towards the back of the room is a long table headed by a red and gold throne. While the royal seat itself is empty, every other chair is taken. The men, like the latecomer, are clad entirely in black, a sign of mourning for their king. William IV was pronounced dead just hours ago, and it's time to meet his successor. With all the seats at the table occupied, the man takes his place at the back of the room. He glances around at the distinguished attendees already here. It's like a roll call of the most important gentlemen from the British Isles and beyond. There's the Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, at the front, next to the Duke of Sussex and the portly King of Hanover. Across from them sits the renowned Duke of Wellington. But before he can get any further with identifying the guests, the doors to the red saloon room swing open and a hush descends. 90 pairs of eyes fix on the figure who has just walked in. She's A young woman, 18 years old, though she looks years younger. Her chestnut brown hair is tied neatly on top of her head, and her long gray gown accentuates her petite figure. At barely 5ft tall, as she walks along the wooden floorboards, her tiny feet hardly make a sound. Under the scrutiny of her eminent guests, the young woman marches to the table and sits down on the golden throne. Though he wouldn't dare laugh, the man notices with concealed amusement that her feet don't even touch the ground. But all humor vanishes when the woman clears her throat and speaks. She addresses the men in a voice that is so controlled, so powerful, that despite her tender age and tiny stature, there's no mistaking her suitability for the role she has been ascribed. Her name, until the early hours of the morning was Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent. But with the death of her uncle William just five hours ago, she now has a different role to play. This diminutive teenager has become Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Victorian age has begun. Queen Victoria was Britain's longest reigning monarch until Elizabeth II, her great great granddaughter, surpassed her. Over 63 years, Victoria oversaw Britain's expansion into an industrial powerhouse. Her era was one of innovation and empire, but it was also a time of huge social disparity. While the wealthy prospered, many of her subjects languished in poverty. And despite having a female head of state, the women of her nation had precious few rights. As Britain transformed, so did Victoria herself. During her reign, she matured from a naive queen into a sovereign, known as the Widow of Windsor and later, the Grandmother of Europe. But behind the palace doors, what was life like for this young woman who held such power in a man's world? Can she be credited with the developments of her age? Or was she merely a figurehead? And with modern politics eschewing empire in favor of independence, how should she be remembered? I'm John Hopkins from Noise. This is a short history of Queen Victoria. In 1818, the British royal family is in a bad way. Acting as king on behalf of his mentally ill father, the Prince Regent, George iv is greedy and profligate. He's dragging the institution of the monarchy through the mud, with his various financial and romantic scandals. Worse still, neither he nor his equally unpopular brothers have any legitimate heirs. The Prince Regent's only daughter died in childbirth just one year ago, and her baby was stillborn. With these two generations of future monarchs wiped out in one blow, the line of succession is at risk. The race is on between George and his brothers to produce an heir. On May 24, 1819, the baby race is won by the Prince Regent's younger brother, Edward, Duke of Kent. His German wife, Marie Louise Victoire, gives birth to Alexandrina Victoria in the dining room of Kensington Palace. With her grandfather still king, she is technically fifth in line to the throne. But within two decades, she'll be the most powerful woman in the world. As a baby, Alexandrina Victoria is spoiled by her parents. They're charmed by her plump cheeks and bright blue eyes. She's paraded around in her pram for family members to admire. And everyone wonders what type of monarch she'll make if such a day arrives. In 1820, tragedy strikes her happy family when the Duke of Kent dies from pneumonia while holidaying in the West Country. He leaves behind enormous debts and a wife who struggles to speak English and an infant daughter who, by the time she's 11, will be heir to the throne. Terrified at the pressures of raising her daughter alone, the Duchess retreats to Kensington House and enlists the help of a man called Sir John Conroy. Tracy Borman is a historian, author and joint curator for historic royal palaces.