History comes alive in PBS’ ‘Victoria’
Jenna Coleman portrays Queen Victoria of England on the PBS drama "Victoria."
The statue of Queen Victoria situated outside Kensington Palace in London.
Queen Victoria victory monument in London.
From the opening of the British show’s theme to the moment you first see Jenna Coleman take the screen as the young, unforgettable Queen Victoria of England, you feel as if you’ve escaped into a life of royalty — literally.
I guess you could say my family and I have all always been what you’d call “history nerds.” However, the TV show ”Victoria” on PBS, sponsored by The Masterpiece Trust, is a great watch for anyone remotely interested in European history or those searching for their next favorite show or Sunday night activity.
With the first season premiering Aug. 28, 2016 in the United Kingdom, and in the United States on Jan. 15, 2017, “Victoria” has been called “tremendously engaging … immediately gratifying” by The New York Times. Two additional seasons have followed, the latest of which premiered in the U.S. on Jan. 13 and concluded March 3.
The series was created and written by Daisy Goodwin and stars Coleman (previously of “Doctor Who”) as Queen Victoria and Tom Hughes as Prince Albert. The acting talents of these two co-stars alone are exceptional and are a major factor in the show’s triumph and appeal.
Audience reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes have said, “Coleman and Hughes make a captivating team.” Their passion and dedication to their roles invigorates a production about an era too often fixated on pageantry and parties.
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Though the program generally revolves around Victoria and her reign (which lasted 63 years, from 1837 until her death in 1901), the show does an amazing job of providing context to England’s history. “Victoria” also displays the many relationships the queen developed throughout her rule, some of which are responsible for how the British monarchy continues to operate to this day.
Long live the Queen!
“Victoria” begins with the young Victoria — only 18 years old — becoming queen upon the death of her uncle King William IV. The first season chronicles the ongoing adjustments she had to make to her new life as the monarch of England and how she fell in love with her future German husband, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg.
In the second and third seasons, Victoria and Albert have six children (though, according to the history books, they will have nine in total) and must guide the United Kingdom as it deals with industrialization, two prime ministers, the Corn Laws, the Irish Potato Famine and the Revolutions of 1848. Throughout her victories and defeats as a woman, wife, mother and England’s queen, Victoria stands strong with trusted friends (including her first prime minister, who she nicknames “Lord M.,” and her royal hairdresser, although this character is fictitious) and her admirable, but stubborn, husband, always by her side.
With a total of 22 episodes (including a Christmas special, which premiered Christmas Day 2017 in Great Britain), “Victoria” is one of Masterpiece’s most popular shows and has accumulated seven million to eight million viewers in the United Kingdom alone.
The third season of “Victoria” was as beautiful to look at and experience as its past two seasons, yet there seemed to be a depressing air about these episodes that never truly went away. Though I realize that this was an extremely difficult time to be a monarch in Europe, it didn’t stop me from missing the happy moments that seemed to define the earlier episodes of the series.
To me, this season truly tested Albert’s loyalty to Victoria, in addition to Queen Victoria’s allegiance to not only her husband, but also to herself as the ruler of England.
History rules
I have especially enjoyed watching “Victoria” this past winter due to my AP European History class in high school covering many of the events, ideologies and lives of historical figures that are portrayed in this particular season. This has helped me better understand and connect with Victoria, not only as a powerful ruler but as a woman and a human being as well.
It can be boring and tiresome to receive all of your historical knowledge through textbooks and Wikipedia pages. Once you discover an outlet similar to that of PBS’s “Victoria,” history becomes that much more real and relatable to you as a person, not just as a student or as a curious individual.
The Masterpiece program also does an outstanding job of showing the dangers and benefits of history repeating itself. Looking at the world around us today, you can find similar mindsets, political interests, governmental instabilities and national concerns that existed as far back as Victoria’s time in the 19th century. In order to be prepared and safe in the future, we — the current generation — need to be aware of the mistakes and events that had a significant impact on the societies of the past.
No matter what prior knowledge you have of Queen Victoria’s life or reign, this U.K. series pays sincere homage to her enduring legacy and gives every viewer the chance to reconnect with just a little bit of history, leaving you wanting to learn more and more each time you watch.