Invincible Spirit

Without Queen Victoria (1819-1901), the British monarchy would barely have survived. She became a moral compass for the rising middle class and later the symbol of the British Empire, which reached the pinnacle of its power during her reign. Until the very end, her knowledge of how to achieve and maintain dominance remained irreplaceable for the political elites. Karina Urbach describes Victoria as monarch and mother, as a mastermind of dynastic diplomacy as well as the guiding light of a Victorian era of progress. She reveals her egoism and her generosity, her outbursts of anger, her compassion, but above all, her enormous charm. This biography creates a fresh, vivid portrait of the great queen, who, as the “grandmother of Europe,” also shaped the fate of the continent. “This clever and enlightening biography of Queen Victoria is a captivating and sovereign tribute to the Queen. With wit and psychological empathy Karina Urbach draws – based on a wealth of personal documents – a convincing and evocative portrait of this woman.” - Christopher Clarke