A young girl who became queen at eighteen and ruled for sixty-four years.
Want more detail? Read this lesson at B2/C1 level →
These are the new words for Queen Victoria. Match each word (1–8) to its meaning (A–H). Say your answers out loud — "I think 1 is D" — then check.
1 = D (a queen) · 2 = F (a throne) · 3 = B (a husband) · 4 = H (a child)
5 = E (black) · 6 = A (a factory) · 7 = C (to rule) · 8 = G (famous)
Read each part. Then try the questions from memory, and talk about the last one.
Her name was Victoria. She was born in London in 1819. Her father died when she was a baby. Her mother was very strict. As a child, Victoria was never alone. She slept in her mother's room. She could not walk down the stairs without help. It was a lonely life for a young girl.
One morning in 1837, when Victoria was only eighteen, someone woke her early. Her uncle, the King, had died in the night. Now Victoria was the queen. On her first day, she asked to be alone for one hour. It was the first time in her life! That same day, she moved her bed out of her mother's room. The young queen wanted to be free.
Victoria was very young to rule a big country. At first, an older man, the Prime Minister, helped her. But everyone wanted the same thing for the new queen. They wanted her to marry and to have children.
1. What was Victoria's life like when she was a child?
2. How old was Victoria when she became queen, and what did she do on her first day?
1. It was lonely and strict. She was never alone, slept in her mother's room, and could not go downstairs without help.
2. She was eighteen. On her first day, she asked to be alone for one hour and moved her bed out of her mother's room.
In 1840, Victoria married a young German prince called Albert. Because she was the queen, she had to ask him to marry her! They loved each other very much. On her wedding day, Victoria wore a simple white dress. This was new and different. After this, many women wanted a white dress for their wedding too. We still do this today.
Victoria and Albert had nine children. Albert helped the queen with her work. In 1851, he made a big show called the Great Exhibition. It was in a beautiful building made of glass, called the Crystal Palace. Millions of people came to see the new machines. This was a time of factories, trains and big cities in Britain.
At this time, Britain had a very big empire. It grew and grew. Victoria ruled many countries all around the world — about one quarter of all the people on Earth! In 1876, she also became the Empress of India. Some men tried to hurt the queen, but they always failed. Every time, the people loved their queen even more.
1. Why did Victoria have to ask Albert to marry her, and what did she wear?
2. How big was Victoria's empire?
1. Because she was the queen, so she had to ask him. She wore a simple white dress, and this started the fashion for white wedding dresses.
2. Very big. She ruled about one quarter of all the people on Earth, and she became the Empress of India in 1876.
In 1861, Albert became ill and died. He was only forty-two years old. Victoria was very, very sad. She wore black clothes every day for the rest of her life — for forty years! She did not want to see people. For many years, the queen almost disappeared. Some people asked, "Do we still need a queen?"
Slowly, Victoria came back to her work. She had some new friends who helped her. One was a Scottish man called John Brown. Another was an Indian man called Abdul Karim, who taught her his language. Her family did not like these friends, because they were not rich or important. But Victoria did not care.
When Victoria was old, the people loved her again. They had big parties for her — fifty years as queen, then sixty years as queen. She was like a grandmother to the whole country. Victoria died in 1901, when she was eighty-one. She was queen for almost sixty-four years. That is why we still call this time in history the "Victorian" age.
1. What did Victoria do after Albert died?
2. Why did Victoria's family not like her friends John Brown and Abdul Karim?
1. She was very sad. She wore black clothes for the rest of her life (forty years) and did not want to see people.
2. Because they were not rich or important, and one was Scottish and one was Indian. But Victoria did not care.
An adjective is a word that describes a noun — young, big, white, sad. In English, we usually put the adjective before the noun.
Make a correct phrase: adjective + noun. Write the two words.
1. (queen / young) → a
2. (empire / big) → a
3. (dress / white) → a
1. a young queen
2. a big empire
3. a white dress
The adjective always comes before the noun.
One sentence is correct. Write the letter (A or B).
1. A) She wore a dress black. B) She wore a black dress. →
2. A) Victoria was a girl young. B) Victoria was a young girl. →
3. A) They lived in a big palace. B) They lived in a palace big. →
1. B — She wore a black dress.
2. B — Victoria was a young girl.
3. A — They lived in a big palace.
Remember: adjective + noun.
Choose one adjective from the box and write it before the noun. Then read the sentence out loud.
young · big · white · sad
1. Victoria became queen. She was only a girl.
2. On her wedding day, she wore a dress.
3. After Albert died, she was a very woman.
4. Britain had a empire all around the world.
1. young girl 2. white dress 3. sad woman 4. big empire
The adjective goes before the noun every time.
There is a real podcast about Queen Victoria. It is for native speakers, so it is fast and quite difficult — that is normal! You do not need to understand every word.
From the Noiser podcast network. About 50 minutes. Search "Short History Of Queen Victoria" on Spotify to open the episode.
Open the show on Spotify →Do all three tasks out loud. Use the timer to keep talking.
Tell the story of Queen Victoria in your own words. Use these steps to help you: a lonely young girl in London → queen at eighteen → she married Albert and had nine children → a big empire all around the world → Albert died and she was very sad → an old, famous queen.
Try to use adjectives before nouns (a young queen, a white dress, a big empire, a sad woman) and some of the key words (queen, throne, husband, child, black, factory, rule, famous).
Does your country have a king or a queen now, or in the past? Do you think a country needs a king or a queen today? Why, or why not?
Describe a place, a person or a thing you know. Use lots of adjectives before the noun — for example "a big house", "an old city", "a beautiful park".
Not sure what to talk about? Choose one: