Editor’s spotlight — updated daily
Queen Victoria
United Kingdom
Queen Victoria became Queen of the United Kingdom at age 18 in 1837 and reigned for 63 years, making her the longest-reigning British monarch until Queen Elizabeth II surpassed her in 2015. She married her first cousin Prince Albert in 1840, and after his death in 1861 she mourned for decades. Victoria oversaw the expansion of the British Empire, technological advancements, and was the first British monarch to be photographed and filmed.
