QUEEN VICTORIA AND HER PRIME MINISTERS

Queen Victoria had just turned 18 when her uncle William IV (who had no legitimate children) died in June 1837 with her the heir. Until she was overtaken in 2015 by Elizabeth II, she had been Britain’s longest reigning monarch. It stands to reason then that she interacted with many different Prime Ministers – in fact it was 10. At the time of her accession, Britain was one of the richest and most industrialised nations in the world, with overseas territories that included most of India, Australia, Canada, Ceylon and several West Indian islands.

Lord Melbourne was her first PM, who she met a mere three hours after being told of the king’s passing. She thought he was a “straightforward, honest, clever and good man”, and within a fortnight of her accession, she observed cannily that “there are not many like him in this world of deceit”. Consequently they spent a lot of time together, as he passed on knowledge of the recent past and plenty of gossip, gradually becoming Victoria’s oracle. As well as being a trusted source on affairs of state, she would also report in her journal that Melbourne had been

“very funny” on topics such as bonnets, snuff and drinking hock.

In essence, this is a cracking biography by an accomplished biographer of a much loved, long reigning queen, seen through the prism of her relationships with each of her Prime Ministers, some of whom she cherished, trusted and had affectionate interactions with and some of whom she loathed and who loathed her back. Of course she kept a journal throughout her long life so her thoughts on her Prime Ministers have been well documented.

William Collins, £30, ISBN: 978-0-00-810622-5