A portrait of Queen Victoria and the tumultuous Victorian era. Erickson seeks to reveal the inner contradictions of the resolut, high-minded, often cantankerous woman who became queen at the age of 18 and reigned until her death 64 years later. Victorias early life shaped and toughened her, she learned to overcome severe emotional deprivation and adversity, so that when she became queen she brought to her role extraordinary strength and resilience.