It is Christmas 1846 and Victoria is uncharacteristically sad as she prepares to face her first Christmas without her beloved Baroness Lehzen, while Albert transforms the palace into a magical festive wonderland as he is gripped by an obsession with staging the perfect family Christmas. But tensions between the couple mount when the prince invites house guests to join the celebrations. Meanwhile, Skerrett inherits a large estate from an estranged uncle.
The ambitious eight-part drama follows the early life of Queen Victoria, from her accession to the throne at the tender age of 18 through to her courtship and marriage to Prince Albert. Victoria went on to rule for 63 years, and was our longest-serving monarch until she was overtaken by Elizabeth II on 9th September this year.
Lord Melbourne is Victoria's first prime minister. The two immediately connected and their intimate friendship became a popular source of gossip that threatened to destabilise the Government - angering both Tory and Whigs alike.