We Two: Victoria and Albert: Rulers, Partners, Rivals [Paperback]

This book reads like the very best fiction and indeed the story of Victoria and Albert is more akin to a fairy-tale than the stuffy image of the dumpy dour little Queen featured in so many photographs of her, surrounded members of her multitudinous family.

The young princess, Victoria, heiress to the kingdom of England was kept as sequestered as any heroine of legend in Kensington Palace by her mother Victoria, Duchess of Kent and her adviser, the low-born Sir John Conroy. While the Duchess of Kent claimed it was to protect her from the moral contamination of the debauched courts of her Hanoverian uncle-Kings, Princess Victoria was held in virtual imprisonment and subject to emotional abuse by Conroy and the Duchess. Forced to sleep in her mother's bedroom and never allowed to be alone for a single second for the first eighteen years of her life this caused lasting psychological damage to Victoria.

Victoria's beloved half-sister Foedora was banished to a demeaning and impoverished marriage in Germany to prevent her infecting Victoria with rebellion against her mother and Conroy whose aim was to garner power and wealth to themselves with a prolonged Regency and control over a submissive Victoria thereafter. Even when extremely ill Victoria was bullied incessantly by Conroy and the Duchess to grant power to them and- testament to her strength of resolve-refused to comply.

Liberation came shortly after her 18th birthday and acession to the English throne. Her first act was to have her bed moved from her mother's room and she never forgave her for the abuse she had suffered at her hands.

Besieged by suitors eager to marry the Queen of England,Victoria's choice was in reality limited to a handful of German protestant princes, mostly related to her. Her cousin, handsome,chaste Albert of Saxe-Coburg the scion of an impoverished family became her real-life Prince Charming.

Tensions soon arose in the marriage however as Albert sought real power while Victoria saw herself as the dominant partner and wanted Albert to assume a traditionally feminine role of submissive spouse. Albert had other ideas and aided in large part by his wife's nine pregnancies imposed himself as the real ruler of England with an adoring Victoria rubber-stamping his decisions.

The narrative follows the ups-and downs of the marriage and the gradual transformation of the sensuous, wilful fun-loving Victoria by the prim protestantism of Albert into the dour icon of mercentile middle-England. It was Albert and not Victoria who was responsible for the image of cosy domesticity of the British royal family. Victoria throughly enjoyed sex but hated child-birth yet had nine children who spread her genes and in many cases haemophilia throughout the royal houses of Europe.

During her reign the British monarchy changed from actively ruling to being constitutional monarchs largely due to the early favouritism for the Whigs assumed by the Duchess of Kent and continued by Victoria. While she was herself a catalyst for change, the development of the values and morals of the Victorian era owed much to the changing times and radical policies of the Whigs.

Finally, with the death of Albert, Victoria had to reinvent herself as an active and energetic ruler which she did with consummate aplomb and verve.

Gillian Gill really brings Victoria and Albert to life and explains why their back stories made them who and what they were, tearing away the cobwebs of their myth. I enjoyed immensely the almost conversational casual style in which Gill writes and found the copious notes very informative and useful as well as highly enjoyable in their own right.

This is one of the best biographies I have read in a long while and one which I shall certainly read again.

This is truly one of the best non fiction books I've ever read. Granted, I'm particularly infatuated with the Victorian era, but I was pleasantly surprised in this to find it both accessible and concise. Much background history is discussed, which might understandably becomes a bit mind boggling, but it is all presented in the clearest and most insightful of ways. That Victoria was fated for the throne is perhaps evidenced by the complexity of circumstances that surround her history and upbringing. Her influence was magnificent, and is still felt today. I'm grateful for this re-examination of the couple and what they did for England and the Western world. The last several decades have judged them unduly harshly, in my opinion. It's a pleasant read throughout. I read it slowly, since there was so much information to digest, but it was certainly no difficult book to read, and even managed to evoke a little of the flavour of the era. I'm glad I found this book. I found it both informative and inspiring.

I must admit I have a mild obsession with the Victorian era but as this book is non fiction I was a little concerned that it may read like a list of historical and political events. I was wrong. This is a wonderful book written about a fascinating relationship, a fascinating Monarch and a fascinating period of history. Gill manages to intersperse historical events and politics into a rich and warm account of a loving relationship which was also heavily unbalanced. Though Queen Victoria was the reigning Monarch, it was her husband Albert who ruled from behind the scenes. Queen Victoria shows her vulnerability in this account of her unwavering love for Prince Albert, her defense of him at all times, her jealousy of his relationship with their children and her dependence on him emotionally and bodily. Gill tries to present an unbiased portrayal of the couple including their flaws as well as endearing qualities. I am left wanting to read more about Queen Victoria's life and what happened after the death of her beloved husband. Please write a sequel about Queen Victoria and John Brown Mrs Gill, it would be very well received.