The Queen of Empire: Victoria

Crowned queen shortly after her 18th birthday, Victoria presided over an extraordinary period of British history which saw huge industrial, social and territorial expansion. She also managed to shift the public perception of the royal family from one that saw them as wasteful and anachronistic to a valued part of British society.She started the fashion of becoming patron to dozens of charities and supporting the arts and in doing so, became a celebrated public figure, influencing popular culture.