A riveting portrait

A passionate and opinionated leader, Victoria was born to govern with no room for doubt about her historic destiny or the might of the empire that was built in her name. When it came to her involvement in state affairs, Victoria herself acknowledged that she had held strong “likes and dislikes” for the various prime ministers who served throughout her political evolution from headstrong teenager to seasoned leader.

Anne Somerset’s Queen Victoria and Her Prime Ministers charts the feuds and affectionate interactions Victoria had with her ten premiers in often hilarious detail, from her adoration of Benjamin Disraeli, her favorite prime minister, to her detestation for William Gladstone, a man she deemed a “dangerous old fanatic.”

Review Quote

“A moving, meticulous and original explosion of the constitutional myths we’ve inherited.” —Literary Review (UK)

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