(2009) "What little girl does not dream of growing up as a princess?" says Princess Victoria (Emily Blunt), though for her first 18 years, following her birth in 1819, her palace served as much as her prison. Her father, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, died in 1820, making her heir presumptive, since among the House of Hanover's remaining four males descended from King George III she was the only living legitimate offspring. (If you come to this film without a knowledge of the lineage of the royal family, the opening scenes may appear a confusion of Victoria's connection to her uncles. Not mentioned here is the fact that Victoria's first language was German; she learned English and French afterward.)

Following King George IV's death in 1830, her mother, the Duchess of Kent (Miranda Richardson), under the influence of the conniving Sir John Conroy (Mark Strong), instituted the Kensington System, depriving the princess of a happy childhood, whereby Victoria, while yet a minor, was to be attended at all times by an adult, restricting her access to popular entertainments, even novels, as well as to the court of King William (Jim Broadbent). Sir John's plan was to have Victoria sign an order of regency, allowing her mother to assume rule as Regent while Conroy expected to rule the Duchess; but 17-year-old Victoria refused to apply her signature, and King William lived a month beyond Victoria's 18th birthday.

In vividly presenting the story of the longest reigning British monarch (63 years and seven months) during her youth, fitted with and surrounded by elaborate costumes and elegant settings, until the birth of the first of her nine children, director Jean-Marc Vallée from Julian Fellowes's original screenplay shows us a lively, attractive Queen to belie the dark, dour, austere picture from which she's mostly remembered during the last four decades of her empery following her beloved husband's death at 42 from typhoid fever in 1861.

Her uncle, King Leopold of Belgium, wanting to gain access to the British crown ("We must win her favor before anyone else has a chance"), begins training Prince Albert (Rupert Friend) of Saxe-Coberg and Gotha, her first cousin (son of one of her mother's brothers), assigning the task of tutoring to Baron Stockmar. Victoria and Albert get acquainted in England, he at first parroting her preferences of literature, opera, and other entertainments from his instruction, though he inserts (realizing her awareness of his falseness) his own enjoyment of Schubert's music.

Playing a game of chess, following Victoria's whispering to Albert her feeling like a pawn on a larger chessboard, he (while assuring her that after a similarly unhappy childhood, "I know what it is to live inside your head") recommends to her: "Then you had better master the rules of the game until you can play it better than they can," with a husband to play the game with you.

Preparing to attend King William's birthday at court, Victoria says to her close confidant Baroness Lehzen (Jeanette Hain) that if she chooses to marry she will wed to please herself; the king rises at the dinner table to publicly denounce Victoria's "evil advisers," who have insisted that she is "unprepared … too young" to rule.

Her friendship and trust develop with the prime minister Lord Melbourne (Paul Bettany) during their discussions of policy; she keeps up a correspondence with Albert. On June 18th, 1837, King William dies: "Long live the Queen." Becoming the first sovereign to take up residence in Buckingham Palace, Victoria experiences freedom finally, banishing Sir John from her presence.

Her aunt, King William's widow, cautions her that "every suitor will come with strings attached." Seeking someone she can love and trust, she receives from Lord Melbourne, having a low opinion of ordinary people and their welfare, dissuasion from doing good for the common people because that will only lead to trouble; Albert, on the other hand, back in England for the coronation (June 28th, 1838), passionately champions the dispossessed, sharing with her his ideas for improving housing of the poor. Albert departs with Victoria's acknowledgement of his offer to be useful: "I know you would, but not yet."

To Sir John and the Duchess, Lord Melbourne pronounces, "You have played the game and lost," but when he loses the popular vote for prime minister to Sir Robert Peel, Victoria makes the mistake of refusing to show Sir Robert her confidence, overturning the government and arousing a storm of popular unrest with royal interference. Hearing of the problems back in Britain, Albert remarks: "She is not a fool, but she has listened to a fool." He writes to her with encouragement not to give in to her doubts about her judgments and decisions.

Making up her mind about Albert, she requests him to come to her and "feel at home." Before they can begin their partnership of together reigning over their British subjects, Albert must establish his independence from Lord Melbourne and from Victoria's dominion, resulting in bitter quarrels until he saves her from an attempt on the Queen's life.

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Copyright © 2010 Patrick Ivers. All rights reserved.
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