Queen Victoria was the longest reigning monarch in British history. In this concise biography, Lady Longford, long recognized as an authority on the subject, gives a full account of Queen Victoria’s life and provides her unique assessment of the monarch. Victoria ascended the throne in 1837 on the death of her uncle William IV. In 1840 she married her first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and for the next 20 years they were inseparable. Their descendants were to succeed to most of the thrones of Europe. When Albert died in 1861 Victoria’s overwhelming grief caused her to almost withdraw from public life for several years. This perceived dereliction of public duty, coupled with rumors about her relationship with her Scottish attendant, John Brown, led to increasing criticism. Coaxed back into the public eye by Disraeli, she resumed her political and constitutional interest with vigor until her death in 1901. "A perfect introduction."  — Daily Express "Capaciously documented . . . places its author, Lady Longford (author also of Queen Victoria ) in the front ranks of 20th century military and political biographers."  — Kirkus Reviews on Wellington Elizabeth Longford is the author of  Wellington . Her first work on Queen Victoria, Victoria RI , won the James Tait Black memorial prize.