Before Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Victoria was the longest-reigning British monarch, ruling for 63 years and 216 days (1837-1901).¹⁾

Her full name was Alexandrina Victoria. She was named after her godfather, Tsar Alexander I of Russia.²⁾

Victoria became queen at the age of 18 after the death of her uncle, King William IV.³⁾

She was quite short, standing at only 4 feet 11 inches tall.⁴⁾

After the death of her husband, Prince Albert, in 1861, Victoria wore black for the rest of her life as a symbol of mourning.⁵⁾

She was known as the “Grandmother of Europe” because many of her children married into other royal families across Europe.⁶⁾

Queen Victoria deeply loved her husband, Prince Albert, and had nine children with him.⁷⁾

Victoria and Albert were first cousins, both being grandchildren of Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.⁸⁾

In Canada, Victoria Day is celebrated on the last Monday before May 25th in honor of her birthday.⁹⁾

During her reign, the British Empire expanded significantly, with Victoria becoming the first Empress of India in 1876.¹⁰⁾

Despite being a female monarch, Victoria was opposed to the women’s suffrage movement.¹¹⁾

There were several attempts on her life, but she survived all of them. The first was in 1840 by Edward Oxford.¹²⁾

During her reign, Britain fought the Opium Wars with China, leading to the Treaty of Nanking and the acquisition of Hong Kong.¹³⁾

Victoria was one of the first royals to be extensively photographed, contributing to the medium’s popularity.¹⁴⁾

Queen Victoria enjoyed painting, drawing, and writing in her journals.¹⁵⁾