The queen of great britain and ireland for 63 years, the mother of nine children and grandmother to 42, queen victoria's life was one of magnificent proportions. Victoria's childhood was difficult and lonely but from the time she took the throne aged just eighteen she blossomed into a powerful woman, both frivolous and formidable. It was a time of the expansion of the empire, as britain (for good, or as it is often considered today, bad) and its armies sought to extend their influence across the planet. Indeed, the victorian period is often regarded as a time of peace, but in fact, there were almost continuous wars during the era. Afghanistan, india, africa, the crimea... Victorian britain was a time of great industrial progress; a time of poverty in the cities but the birth of education. At the time she took the throne one child in five failed to reach their fifth birthday. To queen victoria, the love, attention and protection of a man was all but indispensable. During her long life, there were six men with whom her emotions were romantically involved: her first prime minister, the urbane lord melbourne; her husband, the idealistic prince albert; her fellow sovereign, the fascinating napoleon iii; her ghillie, the rough-hewn john brown; another prime minister, the silver-tongued disraeli; and her indian servant, the exotic munshi.