Queen Victoria and her prime ministers : her life, the imperial ideal, and the politics and turmoil that shaped her extraordinary reign Cover Image

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Queen Victoria and her prime ministers : her life, the imperial ideal, and the politics and turmoil that shaped her extraordinary reign / Anne Somerset.

Somerset, Anne, 1955- (author.).

Summary:

"It is generally accepted that Queen Victoria reigned but did not rule. This couldn’t be more wrong. A passionate and opinionated leader, Victoria was born to govern with no room for doubt about her historic destiny or the might of the empire that was built in her name. When it came to her involvement in state affairs, Victoria herself acknowledged that she had held strong “likes and dislikes” for the various prime ministers who served throughout her political evolution from headstrong teenager to seasoned leader. Anne Somerset’s Queen Victoria and Her Prime Ministers charts the feuds and affectionate interactions Victoria had with her ten premiers in often hilarious detail, from her adoration of Benjamin Disraeli, her favorite prime minister who filled her life with “poetry, romance, and chivalry,” to her detestation for William Gladstone, a man she deemed a “dangerous old fanatic.” Drawing extensively on unpublished sources such as material from the Royal Archives and never-before-seen prime ministerial papers, Somerset casts a fresh and highly illuminating perspective not just on Victoria, but on the exceptional politicians who served her in a time of massive global change." -- Provided by publisher.

Record details

ISBN: 9781101875575
ISBN: 1101875577
Physical Description: 630 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates ; illustrations (some color) ; 25 cm
Edition: First United States edition.
Publisher: New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2024.
Copyright: ©2024

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

Lord Melbourne 1837-1841 -- Sir Robert Peel 1841-1846 -- Lord John Russell 1846-1852 -- Lord Derby; Lord Aberdeen 1852-1855 -- Lord Palmerston; Lord Derby; Lord Palmerston 1855-1861 -- Lord Palmerston 1861-1865 -- Lord Russell; Lord Derby; Mr Disraeli 1865-1868 -- Mr Gladstone 1868-1874 -- Mr Disraeli (Earl of Beaconsfield) 1874-1880 -- Mr Gladstone 1880-1885 -- Lord Salisbury; Mr Gladstone 1885-1886 -- Lord Salisbury 1886-1892 -- Mr Gladstone; Lord Rosebery 1892-1895 -- Lord Salisbury 1895-1901.