The Young Victoria by Alison Plowden

If you have ever read any of Alison Plowden’s other books you know that she writes history in a style that is easy to read and appreciate. This book basically continues the story that was presented in Caroline and Charlotte. The Young Victoria by Alison Plowden is an easy and entertaining historical read.

When Princess Charlotte died in childbirth in 1817, the hopes of the house of Hanover died with her. Even though King George III and his wife Charlotte had a large family, 9 sons and 6 daughters, they had not one legitimate heir. A crisis was brewing. Those sons who were not married (there were three) must marry and try to produce an heir.

William, the Duke of Clarence, was the eldest at 52. He had already fathered a large family of ten with actress Dorothea Jordan. He seemed a good candidate and he married Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen. Edward, the Duke of Kent, was 50, and he married Princess Victoire of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, who was a widow with children; Adolphus, The Duke of Cambridge was the youngest at 43 and he married Augusta of Hesse-Cassel.

The baby stakes were on and it would take quite a few years to determine who would be the winner. As everyone knows now, The Duke of Kent and his wife had a baby girl, named Victoria after her mother, who was the only baby to survive. This book is her story.

The Duke of Kent was a hardened soldier and as healthy as a horse and yet it only took a week of the horrifying medical practices of the early 19th century to kill him, leaving a heartbroken wife and a baby daughter who would never know him.

The book deals with all the intrigue and controversy that swirled around the little girl who would be queen. Her mother tried to keep her from having contact with both of her uncles who were the kings of England. Her life was controlled in just about every aspect and it was the loyalty and devotion of her companion Baroness Lehzen that helped to make life tolerable for her.

Her mother, much in need of the strength of a man, had turned to John Conroy for advice and he sought to control not only the mother but the daughter. In the days before she became queen, he tried to pressure Princess Victoria into granting her mother regency over her, and through her mother, of course, himself. He underestimated the backbone of the young woman he was dealing with. She resisted all attempts to pressure her and from the moment she became Queen he was banished from her court. It took many years for her to forgive her mother but eventually she did.

In the book, we watch the adorable little girl grow into a stubborn woman who would have her own way. We also see her learn to be Queen from Lord Melbourne her first Prime Minister. By the end of the book, she has fallen in love with Prince Albert and has started to become the woman that she was always meant to be.

The Young Victoria by Alison Plowden is a very good read, filled with interesting stories and a close look at the upbringing of one of England’s greatest monarchs.