The Young Victoria
Encyclopedia
The Young Victoria is a 2009 period drama film based on the early life and reign of Queen Victoria, and her marriage to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The film was directed by Jean-Marc Vallée
and written by screenwriter Julian Fellowes
. Graham King
, Martin Scorsese
, Sarah, Duchess of York
, and Timothy Headington
served as the film's producers. The film starred Emily Blunt
, Rupert Friend
, Paul Bettany
, Miranda Richardson
, and Jim Broadbent
among a large ensemble cast.
Fellowes sought to make the film as historically accurate as possible. With this in mind, he hired Academy Award-winning costume designer Sandy Powell
and historical consultant Alastair Bruce, 5th Baron Aberdare
. Filming for The Young Victoria took place at various historical landmarks in England to further the film's authenticity. Despite this, various aspects of the film have been criticized for historical inaccuracies.
Momentum Pictures
released the film in the United Kingdom, where it appeared in theaters on 6 March 2009. Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group
opened The Young Victoria in limited theatrical release
in the United States on 18 December 2009 through Apparition
. Critical reception was generally positive, and it scored a 76 percent rating on film review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes
based upon 139 reviews. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards
, winning the 2010 Academy Award for Best Costume Design. The film also won for the Best Make-Up and Hair and Best Costume Design
at the 63rd British Academy Film Awards
.
. She is raised under a strict set of rules devised by her mother (her father having died when Victoria was a baby), the Duchess of Kent
and comptroller
of the Duchess's household, Sir John Conroy
, who calls it the "Kensington System
." Conroy hopes that William IV will die while Victoria is still a minor, thus the Duchess would be appointed Regent, and he would be the power behind the throne
through his considerable control of the Duchess. Victoria grows rebellious and resentful of her mother and Conroy's oppressive control of her every move. During an illness, her mother and Conroy attempt to force Victoria to sign papers that would make Conroy her personal secretary upon her majority. Although weak and ill, Victoria is strong enough to vehemently refuse this ploy, throwing the papers on the floor.
Her uncle King Leopold I of Belgium
wishes to use his influence through family ties to secure an alliance between Britain
and Belgium
. He realizes his sister, the Duchess, exerts little influence over Victoria and decides to have his nephew Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld seduce Victoria. Albert is trained by Baron Stockmar
to learn Victoria's interests, including her favorite novels, music and opera. The Duchess invites the Coburg brothers, Albert and Prince Ernest of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld to visit the household. Victoria and Albert develop an early fondness for each other, despite Victoria knowing that Albert was sent by her uncle to win her favours. They begin writing to one another after Albert has returned home.
To maintain control over Victoria, Conroy and the Duchess keep her away from the King's court, and are unhappy when she insists on attending the King's birthday reception. At the reception in Windsor Castle
, the King, stating his wish to be closer to Victoria, insults her mother in public twice. The King increases Victoria's income but this is rejected by Conroy, who physically subdues her in front of her mother, heightening the animosity between them. The King is outraged and sends the liberal Prime Minister
Lord Melbourne
to advise her. Victoria agrees to appoint Lord Melbourne as her private secretary, and he appoints her ladies-in-waiting
, including the Duchess of Sutherland
.
King William dies after Victoria's 18th birthday, avoiding a regency. After accession, Victoria immediately begins to exert her independence, including moving into her own room and banishing Conroy from her household and coronation. During her first meeting with the Privy Council
, she announces, "I am young, but I am willing to learn. And I mean to devote my life in service of my country and my people. I look for your help in this." Victoria moves into the recently completed Buckingham Palace
. The Queen Dowager, Queen Adelaide
advises Victoria against accepting all of Lord Melbourne's proposed ladies-in-waiting, but he persists. Lord Melbourne and Albert begin a battle for influence over Victoria. Albert goes to England to spend more time with Victoria. They bond further, dancing during her coronation and Albert hints at going further with their relationship but Victoria resists.
Lord Melbourne loses a vote in Parliament
, leading Victoria to invite Sir Robert Peel
of the Tories to form a new government. However, Victoria refuses to allow Peel to replace her ladies-in-waiting, who are allies of Lord Melbourne. Peel in turn refuses the queen's invitation, allowing Melbourne to continue as prime minister. The subsequent crisis
damages Victoria's popularity, leading to demonstrations outside the palace and insults hurled at her in public. The loneliness during the turbulence draws Victoria closer to Albert through their letters. She invites Albert to England and proposes marriage.
Victoria and Albert have a loving marriage, but Albert is frustrated at his initial powerlessness in the household. Queen Adelaide advises Victoria to allow Albert to take on more duties, which he does. He reorganizes the running of the royal household and dismisses Conroy for mishandling funds. He also becomes Victoria's primary adviser, rejecting the influences of Lord Melbourne and King Leopold. He overreaches when he goes over Victoria's head in a matter with parliamentary politics, leading to a fierce argument between the two. One morning, while riding in a carriage together, Victoria is fired upon by a would-be assassin. Albert shields her, and his bravery leads to their reconciliation.
The final title card explains that Victoria and Albert had nine children. Their descendants are the royal families of Britain
, Spain
, Sweden
, Norway
, Yugoslavia, Russia, Greece, Romania
and Germany
. They reigned together for 20 years. Albert died from typhoid fever
at age 42. In memory of him, Victoria had his clothes laid out every day until her death at age 81. Victoria and Albert championed reforms in education, welfare and industry. They also supported arts and sciences that were celebrated in the Great Exhibition
of 1851. Victoria remains the longest reigning British Monarch to date.
who conceived the idea for a film based upon the early years of Queen Victoria. She had been interested in the queen since her marriage to Prince Andrew, Duke of York
, and had written two books about her with the help of a historian. The Victoria-Albert relationship in particular drew her into the queen's history, as she believed there were parallels between their marriage and her own with Prince Andrew, as they both "fought for their love" in the midst of public scrutiny. A friend set up a meeting with producer Graham King
, to whom she pitched the idea along with several others. At the time wrapping up his work on The Departed
, King, a native of Britain, had been looking for a project set in his home country for years. The producer later remembered, "she pitched me a bunch of things, and among them was a three-page synopsis of Victoria’s early life: the precise span covered in The Young Victoria. [After that the film] just fell into place." King brought frequent collaborator Martin Scorsese
on board as a co-executive producer, as the Academy Award-winning director knew "pretty much all there is to know about British history".
Gosford Park
screenwriter Julian Fellowes
contacted King to present ideas for a script, and according to the producer, "[Fellowes] seemed to have the whole movie planned out in his head so we told him to go ahead and write it. Three months later, this incredibly impressive screenplay showed up on our desks." Fellowes was immediately hired by him and Scorsese. Fellowes chose not to end the film at Albert's death because he wary of copying "the horror of biopics," where there is simply an important event after important event. Believing it had been done before and that the audience was already familiar with that part of Victoria's history, he thought it would be better suited for a television series or for another film.
For the film's director, King wanted someone "who would steer us away from the traditional BBC-type costume drama," and "make a period movie for an MTV
audience". By chance, someone recommended King watch the 2005 film C.R.A.Z.Y.
by French-Canadian filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallée
, and became immediately interested in hiring him. King offered the job to Vallee on their very first meeting. Though at first expressing disinterest, Vallee agreed to direct after reading the script. He commented, "When I read the script, I saw it's a family drama, a romance, a political plot at the same time." Vallee considered Victoria to be a rebel because "she has this attitude, which is you make noise, you want to yell and yell loudly to your parents and all the people, to authority... 'I'm going to do it my way.' That's what rock 'n' roll is all about. That's what I liked about her, this energy. [Victoria] was special and had this mystical quality."
Academy Award-winning costume designer Sandy Powell
heard about the script and contacted King, who in turn hired her. Powell was granted exclusive access to Victoria's wedding dress and coronation robes while researching. Based upon his work on The Lives of Others
and his German nationality, Hagen Bogdanski was selected as the director of photography. Fellowes enlisted his friend Alastair Bruce, 5th Baron Aberdare
's help with the coronation ceremony's historical authenticity, which led to Bruce's employment as the film's historical consultant, his first film credit.
read the script, and aware other actresses would fight for the part, she approached King early in the search process. Blunt later admitted she had a "non-existent knowledge" of the queen, but after consulting her mother about Victoria's successful marriage, Blunt told King that the queen "was a young girl who was very in love for the first time, and she was in a job where she felt way over her head. So I said to Graham, 'She's rebellious. She's a survivor.' I didn't want to approach her as the English rose, but as a young girl who was fighting". They awarded Blunt the role after viewing her entire filmography as well as her Golden Globes acceptance speech for Gideon's Daughter
. Blunt noted, "I thought [Victoria] was remarkable and such a challenge. This young girl, who was so feisty and emotional and strong-willed, was very fascinating to me... In my life and in the job I've chosen to do, you have to perform all the time. And I thought Victoria was a bit of an actress." After winning the part, Blunt was allowed access to Windsor Castle
, where she viewed Victoria's paintings, letters, diaries, and music composed by Albert himself.
Determined not to use any big Hollywood names, King looked at many European actors before settling on British actor Rupert Friend
. They were aware of him from the 2005 film Pride & Prejudice
. Vallee noted, "I had an image of Albert in my mind, before we cast Rupert, and how the actor might play him and when Rupert came on board he was just right. He had a very good understanding of the character and he did a lot of research to get him right, with the accent and his deportment. He really looks the part, he looks so romantic!" Co-producer Dennis O'Sullivan called Friend "our Scarlett O'Hara
search". They believed the actor had the most chemistry with Blunt after selecting several to play chess with her. Friend's height (6ft 1in) also played a factor in their choice. Friend believed "Albert was a true unsung hero. A great reformer, a doting husband and father, a hard worker and man of real integrity and modesty." The actor also thought their relationship was not "a gooey love story"; rather, their arguments showed it "wasn't an easy road by any means". Friend strove to immerse himself in the role, and learned the prince's particular characteristics, such as the way he rode a horse, walked, and played the piano. He worked with a voice coach and German instructor to perfect his accent, with the intention of "put[ting] in as much German as possible, because Victoria and Albert did speak German to each other."
Paul Bettany
was cast as Lord Melbourne despite being roughly twenty years too young for the part. Vallee explained, "We couldn't find a 58-year-old actor who was sexy and good-looking enough. Paul was a more than good enough actor to age from the inside, and he plays him as a great politician and a great seducer." Early in the casting process the crew wanted to cast Miranda Richardson
as the Duchess of Kent, and believed she had such great chemistry with Blunt that it became "genuinely uncomfortable watching them in a scene, as the scenes are so intense and real." Jim Broadbent
and Mark Strong
joined the cast as King William IV and Sir John Conroy, respectively, as did Harriet Walter
as Queen Adelaide. Sarah's elder daughter, Princess Beatrice of York
, made her film debut in a small cameo role.
were filmed at Lincoln Cathedral
in September and October, and Ham House was substituted for Kensington Palace
. Blenheim Palace
, Lancaster House
, and Ditchley Park doubled for internal scenes of the monarch's main residence, Buckingham Palace
. Other scenes filmed at Hampton Court Palace
, Arundel Castle
in West Sussex
, Wilton House
near Salisbury
, Balls Park
, and Belvoir Castle
in Leicestershire
. Week four of shooting was especially intensive, as filming was done at a different site each day, including Osterley Park, Greenwich Naval Base
, Ham House, Novello Theatre
and Hampton Court.
s, to the point where he became upset when actor Jim Broadbent
ad-libbed and told someone to "Enjoy the meal" during a dinner scene, a phrase not proper for the time period. The writer commented, "Everything I have put into it is based entirely on fact. It just happens to be a story that not many people are familiar with." Fellowes has remarked that while he would not alter the "fundamental truth", such as the characters' real relationships to each other, he strove to "use episodes to illustrate the journey you're taking your characters, and with them, your audience".
Although largely faithful to a selection of historical facts, the film has drawn criticism for embellishing on events in order to increase dramatic potential
. For example, Prince Albert was never shot during an assassination attempt on Queen Victoria. Fellowes told BBC Radio 4's Film Programme
that in actuality the prince did put his body before the queen as protection, and that showing Prince Albert having been grazed by the bullet in the film was added to best show his bravery and devotion as he tried to stop Queen Victoria from being shot.
Another departure from history comes during Victoria's coronation scene. Unlike in the film Albert was not present at the ceremony; the couple instead wrote letters to each other, but Fellowes felt that having them keep opening letters would be less cinematic. Furthermore, according to Fellowes, "The scene where [Conroy] is trying to make her sign the paper when she is ill and she throws it to the floor - it's completely true", and "The scene in Windsor
where the King
stands up and insults Victoria's mother is not only true, but about two-thirds of his speech is what he actually said!" However, the Duchess of Kent was seated next to the King when he spoke and did not leave during the speech; and, undepicted in the film, the princess burst into tears "and the two parties, soon realizing that they had gone too far, patched up an uneasy truce". According to Charles Greville's memoirs: "The Queen [Adelaide] looked in deep distress, the Princess [Victoria] burst into tears, and the whole company were aghast. The Duchess of Kent said not a word. Immediately after they rose and retired, and a terrible scene ensued; the Duchess announced her immediate departure and ordered her carriage, but a sort of reconciliation was patched up, and she was prevailed upon to stay till the next day."
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne
, who was prime minister when Victoria came to the throne and a political mentor to the young queen, was forty years her senior, but is portrayed as a much younger man in the film. As for King Leopold, he was her favourite uncle whose advice she constantly sought; her interest in Albert was due not to the latter's success in wooing her but simply to please Leopold.
Victoria's descendant Elizabeth II viewed the film in a special screening; according to one source, she believed the film had a "lot of good points", but was unhappy with the change to the assassination attempt, and also thought the British officers' costumes looked too German. Apart from the assassination attempt, historian Alex von Tunzelmann
noted that "historically, [the film's] not at all bad", and especially praised the depiction of contemporary politics and the characteristics Friend put into his performance as Prince Albert.
, to create the right "mood" before a scene. Executive producer Colin Vaines knew composer Ilan Eshkeri
, and hired him for the film. Sinéad O'Connor
performed "Only You", which O'Sullivan described as "very much in line with one of the overriding aims of the film, which was to be hopeful and tell people that these amazing love stories really can happen, it’s not just a fairy tale." EMI Music released the film soundtrack. It received a nomination for the 2010 Ivor Novello Award for Best Original Score. The soundtrack includes the following tracks:
handled distribution of The Young Victoria in the United Kingdom. The film's world premiere was held on 5 February 2009 at the 59th Berlin International Film Festival
while its UK premiere was held in London
's Leicester Square
on 3 March. The film was released in UK theaters on 6 March 2009. On its opening week in the UK The Young Victoria grossed £1,016,053, and earned a total of £4,538,697 over its six week run.
A bidding war
erupted over its US release, and American distribution studio Apparition
on the behalf of Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group
won the rights to the film. At the time, Apparition executive Bob Berney noted the film is "very audience friendly and commercial." The Young Victoria earned USD $160,069 on its initial US release
on 18 December 2009, where it opened in twenty theaters. It expanded nationwide on Christmas Day, and grossed USD $11,001,272 by the end of its theatrical run. Entertainment Weekly
film critic Owen Gleiberman
gave The Young Victoria a B+; he gave praise to Emily Blunt's performance and concluded, "The Young Victoria has a subtler flow than you might expect, and at times it's calmer than you may like. Director Jean-Marc Vallée's images have a creamy stateliness, but this is no gilded princess fantasy — it's the story of a budding ruler who learns to control her surroundings, and Blunt makes that journey at once authentic and relevant." Manohla Dargis
of The New York Times
called it a "frivolously entertaining film" and believed it was "directed with some snap by Jean-Marc Vallée". Dargis finished her review, "Despite the filmmakers’ efforts to persuade us that The Young Victoria is a serious work, and despite some tense moments and gunfire, the movie’s pleasures are as light as its story. No matter. Albert may never rip Victoria’s bodice, but he does eventually loosen it, to her delight and ours."
The Daily Telegraph
called The Young Victoria a "production of the highest calibre with an impeccable cast." The Times
Wendy Ide gave the film 3 out 5 stars wrote "It's decorative, but suffers from a stultifying lack of drama" and found similarities to the 1998 film Elizabeth
. Ide found Victoria and Albert's relationship to be "persuasive and rather charming," and praised the performances of both the main and supporting cast, particularly noting Bettany's scene-stealing performance.
Less positive was Peter Bradshaw
, film critic for The Guardian
, who gave the film two out of five stars. While initially looking forward to Blunt's performance, he believed the "black-belt minx" actress was "never really allowed to let rip. All that coiled feline sensuality stay[ed] coiled". He thought the queen's relationship with Prince Albert "very, very unsexy", as their devotion "makes for a boring movie". Bradshaw did however praise the power dynamics around Victoria, but concluded "I spent an hour and three-quarters waiting for this movie to start. Where was the tang and the zing and the oomph of Fellowes's cracking script for Robert Altman's Gosford Park?"
but lost to Sandra Bullock
for The Blind Side
. Blunt received further nominations at the British Independent Film Awards
, Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards
, and at the Empire Awards
, among others. The film also received three Academy Awards
nominations in 2010 for Best Art Direction
(which it lost to Avatar), Makeup (which it lost to Star Trek), and won for Costume Design. At the 2010 BAFTA
Awards, The Young Victoria won the awards for Best Costume Design
and Best Makeup and Hair.
Jean-Marc Vallée
Jean-Marc Vallée is a Canadian film director and screenwriter from Quebec. He is best known for the film C.R.A.Z.Y. which is one of the most successful films in Quebec history, both financially and critically...
and written by screenwriter Julian Fellowes
Julian Fellowes
Julian Alexander Kitchener-Fellowes, Baron Fellowes of West Stafford, DL , known as Julian Fellowes, is an English actor, novelist, film director and screenwriter, as well as a Conservative peer.-Early life:...
. Graham King
Graham King
Graham King, OBE is a British film producer. He is also President and CEO of Initial Entertainment Group. He is best known for his Academy Award winning 2006 crime thriller film The Departed, which was awarded the Best Picture Oscar at the 79th Academy Awards.King was appointed Officer of the...
, Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
, Sarah, Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York is a British charity patron, spokesperson, writer, film producer, television personality and former member of the British Royal Family. She is the former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, whom she married from 1986 to 1996...
, and Timothy Headington
Timothy Headington
Timothy Headington is the CEO of Headington Oil, a film producer, and real estate developer.-Biography:Timothy Headington was born in Dallas, Texas in 1950. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma...
served as the film's producers. The film starred Emily Blunt
Emily Blunt
Emily Olivia Leah Blunt is an English actress best known for her roles in The Devil Wears Prada , The Young Victoria , and The Adjustment Bureau . She has been nominated for two Golden Globe Awards, two London Film Critics' Circle Awards, and one BAFTA Award...
, Rupert Friend
Rupert Friend
Rupert Friend is an English film actor, who is best known for his roles as Mr. Wickham in the 2005 film Pride and Prejudice, Lieutenant Kurt Kotler in the 2008 film The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, and Prince Albert in the 2009 film The Young Victoria.-Career:He made his debut in the film The...
, Paul Bettany
Paul Bettany
Paul Bettany is an English actor. He has appeared in a wide variety of films, including A Knight's Tale, A Beautiful Mind, and The Da Vinci Code...
, Miranda Richardson
Miranda Richardson
Miranda Jane Richardson is an English stage, film and television actor. She has been nominated for two Academy Awards, and has won two Golden Globes and a BAFTA during her career....
, and Jim Broadbent
Jim Broadbent
James "Jim" Broadbent is an English theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for his roles in Iris, Moulin Rouge!, Topsy-Turvy, Hot Fuzz, and Bridget Jones' Diary...
among a large ensemble cast.
Fellowes sought to make the film as historically accurate as possible. With this in mind, he hired Academy Award-winning costume designer Sandy Powell
Sandy Powell (costume designer)
Sandy Powell OBE is a British costume designer who has been nominated nine times for the Academy Award . She won the Oscar in 1999 for the film Shakespeare in Love, in 2005 for The Aviator, and in 2010 for The Young Victoria. She has received nine BAFTA nominations, winning in 1999 for Velvet...
and historical consultant Alastair Bruce, 5th Baron Aberdare
Alastair Bruce, 5th Baron Aberdare
Alastair John Lyndhurst Bruce, 5th Baron Aberdare is the son of Morys George Lyndhurst Bruce, 4th Baron Aberdare and Maud Helen Sarah Dashwood, daughter of Sir John Dashwood, 10th Baronet...
. Filming for The Young Victoria took place at various historical landmarks in England to further the film's authenticity. Despite this, various aspects of the film have been criticized for historical inaccuracies.
Momentum Pictures
Momentum Pictures
Momentum Pictures , an Alliance Films company, is one of the leading independent motion picture distributors in the UK and Ireland and releases approximately 20 theatrical films a year, with several stv releases....
released the film in the United Kingdom, where it appeared in theaters on 6 March 2009. Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions is a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment. The company specializes in acquiring and producing films for a wide variety of distribution platforms, but the group's main focus is non-theatrical markets .SPWA was formerly a division of Sony Pictures Home...
opened The Young Victoria in limited theatrical release
Limited release
Limited release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing in a select few theaters across the country ....
in the United States on 18 December 2009 through Apparition
Apparition (company)
Apparition is a Los Angeles-based film distribution company founded by Bob Berney and Bill Pohlad in 2009. It purchases, distributes and markets films of a more "art house" and "cutting-edge" flavor than do major studios...
. Critical reception was generally positive, and it scored a 76 percent rating on film review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
based upon 139 reviews. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards
82nd Academy Awards
The 82nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2009 and took place March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. The ceremony was scheduled well after...
, winning the 2010 Academy Award for Best Costume Design. The film also won for the Best Make-Up and Hair and Best Costume Design
BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design
The British Academy Film Award for Best Costume Design is one of the annual film awards given by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.-1960s:* 1969 - Oh! What a Lovely War - Anthony Mendleson** Funny Girl – Irene Sharaff...
at the 63rd British Academy Film Awards
63rd British Academy Film Awards
The 63rd British Academy Film Awards, hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, took place on 21 February 2010 and honoured the best films of 2009. The Hurt Locker took home the most awards, receiving 6 BAFTAS...
.
Plot
Princess Victoria of Kent is the heiress presumptive to the throne during the last years of the reign of her uncle King William IVWilliam IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
. She is raised under a strict set of rules devised by her mother (her father having died when Victoria was a baby), the Duchess of Kent
Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was the mother of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.-Early life:...
and comptroller
Comptroller
A comptroller is a management level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization.In British government, the Comptroller General or Comptroller and Auditor General is in most countries the external auditor of the budget execution of the...
of the Duchess's household, Sir John Conroy
John Conroy
Sir John Conroy, 1st Baronet KH was a British army officer who became the chief attendant of the Duke of Kent and the Duchess of Kent who were the parents of Queen Victoria. When the Duke died, he became comptroller of the duchess' household and was rumoured to be her lover...
, who calls it the "Kensington System
Kensington System
The Kensington System was a strict and elaborate set of rules designed by Victoria, Duchess of Kent, along with her attendant and supposed lover, Sir John Conroy, concerning the upbringing of the Duchess's daughter, the future Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom...
." Conroy hopes that William IV will die while Victoria is still a minor, thus the Duchess would be appointed Regent, and he would be the power behind the throne
Power behind the throne
The phrase power behind the throne refers to a person or group that informally exercises the real power of an office. In politics, it most commonly refers to a spouse, aide, or advisor of a political leader who serves as de facto leader, setting policy through influence or manipulation.The...
through his considerable control of the Duchess. Victoria grows rebellious and resentful of her mother and Conroy's oppressive control of her every move. During an illness, her mother and Conroy attempt to force Victoria to sign papers that would make Conroy her personal secretary upon her majority. Although weak and ill, Victoria is strong enough to vehemently refuse this ploy, throwing the papers on the floor.
Her uncle King Leopold I of Belgium
Leopold I of Belgium
Leopold I was from 21 July 1831 the first King of the Belgians, following Belgium's independence from the Netherlands. He was the founder of the Belgian line of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha...
wishes to use his influence through family ties to secure an alliance between Britain
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. He realizes his sister, the Duchess, exerts little influence over Victoria and decides to have his nephew Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld seduce Victoria. Albert is trained by Baron Stockmar
Christian Friedrich, Baron Stockmar
Christian Friedrich Freiherr von Stockmar was an Anglo-Belgian statesman, who was a leading player in the affairs of the United Kingdom under Queen Victoria.-Early life and education:...
to learn Victoria's interests, including her favorite novels, music and opera. The Duchess invites the Coburg brothers, Albert and Prince Ernest of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld to visit the household. Victoria and Albert develop an early fondness for each other, despite Victoria knowing that Albert was sent by her uncle to win her favours. They begin writing to one another after Albert has returned home.
To maintain control over Victoria, Conroy and the Duchess keep her away from the King's court, and are unhappy when she insists on attending the King's birthday reception. At the reception in Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
, the King, stating his wish to be closer to Victoria, insults her mother in public twice. The King increases Victoria's income but this is rejected by Conroy, who physically subdues her in front of her mother, heightening the animosity between them. The King is outraged and sends the liberal Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Lord Melbourne
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, PC, FRS was a British Whig statesman who served as Home Secretary and Prime Minister . He is best known for his intense and successful mentoring of Queen Victoria, at ages 18-21, in the ways of politics...
to advise her. Victoria agrees to appoint Lord Melbourne as her private secretary, and he appoints her ladies-in-waiting
Lady-in-waiting
A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she...
, including the Duchess of Sutherland
Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland
Harriet Elizabeth Georgiana Howard was born Lady Harriet Howard, daughter of the 6th Earl of Carlisle and his wife Lady Georgiana Cavendish, who was a daughter of the famous Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. On 18 May 1823 Harriet married Earl Gower, eldest son of the 2nd Marquess of Stafford, and...
.
King William dies after Victoria's 18th birthday, avoiding a regency. After accession, Victoria immediately begins to exert her independence, including moving into her own room and banishing Conroy from her household and coronation. During her first meeting with the Privy Council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
, she announces, "I am young, but I am willing to learn. And I mean to devote my life in service of my country and my people. I look for your help in this." Victoria moves into the recently completed Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
. The Queen Dowager, Queen Adelaide
Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen
Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and of Hanover as spouse of William IV of the United Kingdom. Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, is named after her.-Early life:Adelaide was born on 13 August 1792 at Meiningen, Thuringia, Germany...
advises Victoria against accepting all of Lord Melbourne's proposed ladies-in-waiting, but he persists. Lord Melbourne and Albert begin a battle for influence over Victoria. Albert goes to England to spend more time with Victoria. They bond further, dancing during her coronation and Albert hints at going further with their relationship but Victoria resists.
Lord Melbourne loses a vote in Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
, leading Victoria to invite Sir Robert Peel
Robert Peel
Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet was a British Conservative statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 December 1834 to 8 April 1835, and again from 30 August 1841 to 29 June 1846...
of the Tories to form a new government. However, Victoria refuses to allow Peel to replace her ladies-in-waiting, who are allies of Lord Melbourne. Peel in turn refuses the queen's invitation, allowing Melbourne to continue as prime minister. The subsequent crisis
Bedchamber Crisis
The Bedchamber crisis occurred in May 1839 after Whig politician Lord Melbourne had resigned as Prime Minister. Queen Victoria invited Tory politician Robert Peel to form a new government...
damages Victoria's popularity, leading to demonstrations outside the palace and insults hurled at her in public. The loneliness during the turbulence draws Victoria closer to Albert through their letters. She invites Albert to England and proposes marriage.
Victoria and Albert have a loving marriage, but Albert is frustrated at his initial powerlessness in the household. Queen Adelaide advises Victoria to allow Albert to take on more duties, which he does. He reorganizes the running of the royal household and dismisses Conroy for mishandling funds. He also becomes Victoria's primary adviser, rejecting the influences of Lord Melbourne and King Leopold. He overreaches when he goes over Victoria's head in a matter with parliamentary politics, leading to a fierce argument between the two. One morning, while riding in a carriage together, Victoria is fired upon by a would-be assassin. Albert shields her, and his bravery leads to their reconciliation.
The final title card explains that Victoria and Albert had nine children. Their descendants are the royal families of Britain
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
, Spain
Spanish Royal Family
The Royal Family of the Kingdom of Spain consists of the current king, Juan Carlos, his spouse, Queen Sofia of Spain and their direct descendants. The Spanish royal family belongs to the House of Borbón...
, Sweden
Swedish Royal Family
The Swedish Royal Family since 1818 consists of a number of persons in the Swedish Royal House of Bernadotte, closely related to the King of Sweden. They are entitled to royal titles and style , and some perform official engagements and ceremonial duties of state...
, Norway
Norwegian Royal Family
The Royal Family of Norway is the family of King Harald V of Norway. In Norway there is a distinction between the Royal House and the Royal Family. The Royal House includes only the King and his spouse, the Queen, the King's eldest son with spouse, being the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, and the...
, Yugoslavia, Russia, Greece, Romania
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
-Noble jurisdictions:Prince Karl Eitel of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, and descendants of his nephew Ferdinand ruled over the Kingdom of Romania, as Karl Eitel did not have children...
and Germany
House of Hohenzollern
The House of Hohenzollern is a noble family and royal dynasty of electors, kings and emperors of Prussia, Germany and Romania. It originated in the area around the town of Hechingen in Swabia during the 11th century. They took their name from their ancestral home, the Burg Hohenzollern castle near...
. They reigned together for 20 years. Albert died from typhoid fever
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
at age 42. In memory of him, Victoria had his clothes laid out every day until her death at age 81. Victoria and Albert championed reforms in education, welfare and industry. They also supported arts and sciences that were celebrated in the Great Exhibition
The Great Exhibition
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations or The Great Exhibition, sometimes referred to as the Crystal Palace Exhibition in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held, was an international exhibition that took place in Hyde Park, London, from 1 May to 15 October...
of 1851. Victoria remains the longest reigning British Monarch to date.
Principal cast
- Emily BluntEmily BluntEmily Olivia Leah Blunt is an English actress best known for her roles in The Devil Wears Prada , The Young Victoria , and The Adjustment Bureau . She has been nominated for two Golden Globe Awards, two London Film Critics' Circle Awards, and one BAFTA Award...
as Queen Victoria - Rupert FriendRupert FriendRupert Friend is an English film actor, who is best known for his roles as Mr. Wickham in the 2005 film Pride and Prejudice, Lieutenant Kurt Kotler in the 2008 film The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, and Prince Albert in the 2009 film The Young Victoria.-Career:He made his debut in the film The...
as Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha - Miranda RichardsonMiranda RichardsonMiranda Jane Richardson is an English stage, film and television actor. She has been nominated for two Academy Awards, and has won two Golden Globes and a BAFTA during her career....
as the Duchess of KentPrincess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-SaalfeldPrincess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was the mother of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.-Early life:... - Mark StrongMark StrongMark Strong is an English actor, with a body of work in both films and television. He has performed in films as varied as Body of Lies, Syriana, The Young Victoria, Sherlock Holmes, RocknRolla, Stardust, and Kick-Ass...
as Sir John ConroyJohn ConroySir John Conroy, 1st Baronet KH was a British army officer who became the chief attendant of the Duke of Kent and the Duchess of Kent who were the parents of Queen Victoria. When the Duke died, he became comptroller of the duchess' household and was rumoured to be her lover... - Jim BroadbentJim BroadbentJames "Jim" Broadbent is an English theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for his roles in Iris, Moulin Rouge!, Topsy-Turvy, Hot Fuzz, and Bridget Jones' Diary...
as King William IVWilliam IV of the United KingdomWilliam IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death... - Harriet WalterHarriet WalterDame Harriet Mary Walter, DBE is a British actress.-Personal life:She is the niece of renowned British actor Sir Christopher Lee, as the daughter of his elder sister Xandra Lee. On her father's side she is a great-great-great-granddaughter of John Walter, founder of The TimesShe was educated at...
as Queen AdelaideAdelaide of Saxe-MeiningenPrincess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and of Hanover as spouse of William IV of the United Kingdom. Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, is named after her.-Early life:Adelaide was born on 13 August 1792 at Meiningen, Thuringia, Germany... - Paul BettanyPaul BettanyPaul Bettany is an English actor. He has appeared in a wide variety of films, including A Knight's Tale, A Beautiful Mind, and The Da Vinci Code...
as Lord MelbourneWilliam Lamb, 2nd Viscount MelbourneWilliam Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, PC, FRS was a British Whig statesman who served as Home Secretary and Prime Minister . He is best known for his intense and successful mentoring of Queen Victoria, at ages 18-21, in the ways of politics... - Thomas KretschmannThomas KretschmannThomas Kretschmann is a German actor best known for playing Leutnant Hans Von Witzland in the 1993 film Stalingrad, Hauptmann Wilm Hosenfeld in The Pianist, Hermann Fegelein in Der Untergang, and Captain Englehorn in the 2005 remake of King Kong.-Early life:Kretschmann was born in Dessau, former...
as King Leopold I of BelgiumLeopold I of BelgiumLeopold I was from 21 July 1831 the first King of the Belgians, following Belgium's independence from the Netherlands. He was the founder of the Belgian line of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha... - Jesper ChristensenJesper ChristensenJesper Christensen is a Danish actor. A veteran of European cinema, he has more recently made the transition to English language projects, including The Interpreter and Revelations. He has also appeared as the mysterious villain Mr...
as Baron StockmarChristian Friedrich, Baron StockmarChristian Friedrich Freiherr von Stockmar was an Anglo-Belgian statesman, who was a leading player in the affairs of the United Kingdom under Queen Victoria.-Early life and education:... - Jeanette Hain as Baroness Louise Lehzen
- Julian GloverJulian GloverJulian Wyatt Glover is a British actor best known for such roles as General Maximilian Veers in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, the Bond villain Aristotle Kristatos in For Your Eyes Only, and Walter Donovan in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.-Personal life:Glover was born in...
as the Duke of WellingtonArthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of WellingtonField Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century... - Michael MaloneyMichael MaloneyMichael Maloney is an English actor.Born in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, Maloney's first television appearance was as Peter Barkworth's teenage son in the 1979 drama series, Telford's Change....
as Sir Robert PeelRobert PeelSir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet was a British Conservative statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 December 1834 to 8 April 1835, and again from 30 August 1841 to 29 June 1846... - Michiel HuismanMichiel HuismanMichiel Huisman is a Dutch television and film actor. He stars in the HBO series Treme, as drug addicted musician, Sonny.-Career:...
as Prince Ernest of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha - Johnnie Lyne-Pirkis as Prince Ernest Augustus, Duke of CumberlandErnest Augustus I of HanoverErnest Augustus I was King of Hanover from 20 June 1837 until his death. He was the fifth son and eighth child of George III, who reigned in both the United Kingdom and Hanover...
- Liam Scott as Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of SussexPrince Augustus Frederick, Duke of SussexThe Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex , was the sixth son of George III of the United Kingdom and his consort, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. He was the only surviving son of George III who did not pursue an army or naval career.- Early life :His Royal Highness The Prince Augustus...
- Dave A. Hewitt as the Duke of NorfolkHenry Howard, 13th Duke of NorfolkHenry Charles Howard, 13th Duke of Norfolk, KG, PC , styled Earl of Surrey between 1815 and 1842, was a British Whig politician.-Background:...
- Danny Dalton as the Prince of Prussia
- Sophie Roberts as Lady Emma PortmanEmma Portman, Viscountess PortmanEmma Lascelles Portman, Viscountess Portman , was an English aristocrat. She was the daughter of Henry Lascelles, 2nd Earl of Harewood and Henrietta Sebright....
- Rachael StirlingRachael StirlingRachael Atlanta Stirling is an English stage, film and television actress. She is a two-time Olivier nominee for her stage work, but is best known for her performance as Nancy Astley in the BBC drama Tipping the Velvet.-Personal life:...
as the Duchess of SutherlandHarriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of SutherlandHarriet Elizabeth Georgiana Howard was born Lady Harriet Howard, daughter of the 6th Earl of Carlisle and his wife Lady Georgiana Cavendish, who was a daughter of the famous Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. On 18 May 1823 Harriet married Earl Gower, eldest son of the 2nd Marquess of Stafford, and... - Genevieve O'ReillyGenevieve O'ReillyGenevieve O'Reilly is an Irish actress who has worked in both the United Kingdom and Australia.-Background:O'Reilly was born in Dublin and raised in Adelaide. She is the eldest of four siblings. At the age of twenty O'Reilly moved to Sydney to attend the National Institute of Dramatic Art,...
as Lady Flora HastingsLady Flora HastingsLady Flora Elizabeth Rawdon-Hastings was a British aristocrat and lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria's mother, the Duchess of Kent, whose death in 1839 caused a court scandal that gave the Queen a negative image.... - Roddy Weaver as William IV's Chief Footman
- David RobbDavid RobbDavid Robb is an English actor.Robb has starred in various British films and television shows, including films such as Swing Kids and Hellbound. He is well known for playing Germanicus in the famous 1976 BBC production of I, Claudius and as Robin Grant, one of the principal character in Thames...
as Lord John Russell - Emily Eby as Lady Eliza
- Princess Beatrice of YorkPrincess Beatrice of YorkPrincess Beatrice of York is the elder daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York...
as a lady-in-waitingLady-in-waitingA lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she...
Conception and writing
It was Sarah, Duchess of YorkSarah, Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York is a British charity patron, spokesperson, writer, film producer, television personality and former member of the British Royal Family. She is the former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, whom she married from 1986 to 1996...
who conceived the idea for a film based upon the early years of Queen Victoria. She had been interested in the queen since her marriage to Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
, and had written two books about her with the help of a historian. The Victoria-Albert relationship in particular drew her into the queen's history, as she believed there were parallels between their marriage and her own with Prince Andrew, as they both "fought for their love" in the midst of public scrutiny. A friend set up a meeting with producer Graham King
Graham King
Graham King, OBE is a British film producer. He is also President and CEO of Initial Entertainment Group. He is best known for his Academy Award winning 2006 crime thriller film The Departed, which was awarded the Best Picture Oscar at the 79th Academy Awards.King was appointed Officer of the...
, to whom she pitched the idea along with several others. At the time wrapping up his work on The Departed
The Departed
The Departed is a 2006 American crime thriller film, fashioned as a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs. The film was directed by Martin Scorsese and written by William Monahan...
, King, a native of Britain, had been looking for a project set in his home country for years. The producer later remembered, "she pitched me a bunch of things, and among them was a three-page synopsis of Victoria’s early life: the precise span covered in The Young Victoria. [After that the film] just fell into place." King brought frequent collaborator Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
on board as a co-executive producer, as the Academy Award-winning director knew "pretty much all there is to know about British history".
Gosford Park
Gosford Park
Gosford Park is a 2001 British-American mystery comedy-drama film directed by Robert Altman and written by Julian Fellowes. The film stars an ensemble cast, which includes Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith, Eileen Atkins, Alan Bates, and Michael Gambon...
screenwriter Julian Fellowes
Julian Fellowes
Julian Alexander Kitchener-Fellowes, Baron Fellowes of West Stafford, DL , known as Julian Fellowes, is an English actor, novelist, film director and screenwriter, as well as a Conservative peer.-Early life:...
contacted King to present ideas for a script, and according to the producer, "[Fellowes] seemed to have the whole movie planned out in his head so we told him to go ahead and write it. Three months later, this incredibly impressive screenplay showed up on our desks." Fellowes was immediately hired by him and Scorsese. Fellowes chose not to end the film at Albert's death because he wary of copying "the horror of biopics," where there is simply an important event after important event. Believing it had been done before and that the audience was already familiar with that part of Victoria's history, he thought it would be better suited for a television series or for another film.
For the film's director, King wanted someone "who would steer us away from the traditional BBC-type costume drama," and "make a period movie for an MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
audience". By chance, someone recommended King watch the 2005 film C.R.A.Z.Y.
C.R.A.Z.Y.
C.R.A.Z.Y. is a 2005 French-language Canadian film from Quebec. The film was directed and co-written by Jean-Marc Vallée. It tells the story of Zac, a young gay man dealing with homophobia and heterosexism while growing up with four brothers and a conservative father in 1960s and 1970s...
by French-Canadian filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallée
Jean-Marc Vallée
Jean-Marc Vallée is a Canadian film director and screenwriter from Quebec. He is best known for the film C.R.A.Z.Y. which is one of the most successful films in Quebec history, both financially and critically...
, and became immediately interested in hiring him. King offered the job to Vallee on their very first meeting. Though at first expressing disinterest, Vallee agreed to direct after reading the script. He commented, "When I read the script, I saw it's a family drama, a romance, a political plot at the same time." Vallee considered Victoria to be a rebel because "she has this attitude, which is you make noise, you want to yell and yell loudly to your parents and all the people, to authority... 'I'm going to do it my way.' That's what rock 'n' roll is all about. That's what I liked about her, this energy. [Victoria] was special and had this mystical quality."
Academy Award-winning costume designer Sandy Powell
Sandy Powell (costume designer)
Sandy Powell OBE is a British costume designer who has been nominated nine times for the Academy Award . She won the Oscar in 1999 for the film Shakespeare in Love, in 2005 for The Aviator, and in 2010 for The Young Victoria. She has received nine BAFTA nominations, winning in 1999 for Velvet...
heard about the script and contacted King, who in turn hired her. Powell was granted exclusive access to Victoria's wedding dress and coronation robes while researching. Based upon his work on The Lives of Others
The Lives of Others
The Lives of Others is a 2006 German drama film, marking the feature film debut of filmmaker Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. The film involves the monitoring of the cultural scene of East Berlin by agents of the Stasi, the GDR's secret police...
and his German nationality, Hagen Bogdanski was selected as the director of photography. Fellowes enlisted his friend Alastair Bruce, 5th Baron Aberdare
Alastair Bruce, 5th Baron Aberdare
Alastair John Lyndhurst Bruce, 5th Baron Aberdare is the son of Morys George Lyndhurst Bruce, 4th Baron Aberdare and Maud Helen Sarah Dashwood, daughter of Sir John Dashwood, 10th Baronet...
's help with the coronation ceremony's historical authenticity, which led to Bruce's employment as the film's historical consultant, his first film credit.
Casting
For the title role, King required the candidate be British, and considered casting an unknown actress. British actress Emily BluntEmily Blunt
Emily Olivia Leah Blunt is an English actress best known for her roles in The Devil Wears Prada , The Young Victoria , and The Adjustment Bureau . She has been nominated for two Golden Globe Awards, two London Film Critics' Circle Awards, and one BAFTA Award...
read the script, and aware other actresses would fight for the part, she approached King early in the search process. Blunt later admitted she had a "non-existent knowledge" of the queen, but after consulting her mother about Victoria's successful marriage, Blunt told King that the queen "was a young girl who was very in love for the first time, and she was in a job where she felt way over her head. So I said to Graham, 'She's rebellious. She's a survivor.' I didn't want to approach her as the English rose, but as a young girl who was fighting". They awarded Blunt the role after viewing her entire filmography as well as her Golden Globes acceptance speech for Gideon's Daughter
Gideon's Daughter
Gideon's Daughter is the second of two linked BBC television dramas written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff.Produced independently for the BBC by Talkback Thames and starring Bill Nighy, Miranda Richardson, and Emily Blunt, it aired in the UK on BBC One on 26 February 2006 and in the US on BBC...
. Blunt noted, "I thought [Victoria] was remarkable and such a challenge. This young girl, who was so feisty and emotional and strong-willed, was very fascinating to me... In my life and in the job I've chosen to do, you have to perform all the time. And I thought Victoria was a bit of an actress." After winning the part, Blunt was allowed access to Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
, where she viewed Victoria's paintings, letters, diaries, and music composed by Albert himself.
Determined not to use any big Hollywood names, King looked at many European actors before settling on British actor Rupert Friend
Rupert Friend
Rupert Friend is an English film actor, who is best known for his roles as Mr. Wickham in the 2005 film Pride and Prejudice, Lieutenant Kurt Kotler in the 2008 film The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, and Prince Albert in the 2009 film The Young Victoria.-Career:He made his debut in the film The...
. They were aware of him from the 2005 film Pride & Prejudice
Pride & Prejudice (2005 film)
Pride & Prejudice is a 2005 British romance film directed by Joe Wright. It is a film adaptation of the 1813 novel of the same name by Jane Austen and the second adaption produced by Working Title Films. It was released on September 16, 2005, in the UK and on November 11, 2005, in the...
. Vallee noted, "I had an image of Albert in my mind, before we cast Rupert, and how the actor might play him and when Rupert came on board he was just right. He had a very good understanding of the character and he did a lot of research to get him right, with the accent and his deportment. He really looks the part, he looks so romantic!" Co-producer Dennis O'Sullivan called Friend "our Scarlett O'Hara
Scarlett O'Hara
Scarlett O' Hara is the protagonist in Margaret Mitchell's 1936 novel Gone with the Wind and in the later film of the same name...
search". They believed the actor had the most chemistry with Blunt after selecting several to play chess with her. Friend's height (6ft 1in) also played a factor in their choice. Friend believed "Albert was a true unsung hero. A great reformer, a doting husband and father, a hard worker and man of real integrity and modesty." The actor also thought their relationship was not "a gooey love story"; rather, their arguments showed it "wasn't an easy road by any means". Friend strove to immerse himself in the role, and learned the prince's particular characteristics, such as the way he rode a horse, walked, and played the piano. He worked with a voice coach and German instructor to perfect his accent, with the intention of "put[ting] in as much German as possible, because Victoria and Albert did speak German to each other."
Paul Bettany
Paul Bettany
Paul Bettany is an English actor. He has appeared in a wide variety of films, including A Knight's Tale, A Beautiful Mind, and The Da Vinci Code...
was cast as Lord Melbourne despite being roughly twenty years too young for the part. Vallee explained, "We couldn't find a 58-year-old actor who was sexy and good-looking enough. Paul was a more than good enough actor to age from the inside, and he plays him as a great politician and a great seducer." Early in the casting process the crew wanted to cast Miranda Richardson
Miranda Richardson
Miranda Jane Richardson is an English stage, film and television actor. She has been nominated for two Academy Awards, and has won two Golden Globes and a BAFTA during her career....
as the Duchess of Kent, and believed she had such great chemistry with Blunt that it became "genuinely uncomfortable watching them in a scene, as the scenes are so intense and real." Jim Broadbent
Jim Broadbent
James "Jim" Broadbent is an English theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for his roles in Iris, Moulin Rouge!, Topsy-Turvy, Hot Fuzz, and Bridget Jones' Diary...
and Mark Strong
Mark Strong
Mark Strong is an English actor, with a body of work in both films and television. He has performed in films as varied as Body of Lies, Syriana, The Young Victoria, Sherlock Holmes, RocknRolla, Stardust, and Kick-Ass...
joined the cast as King William IV and Sir John Conroy, respectively, as did Harriet Walter
Harriet Walter
Dame Harriet Mary Walter, DBE is a British actress.-Personal life:She is the niece of renowned British actor Sir Christopher Lee, as the daughter of his elder sister Xandra Lee. On her father's side she is a great-great-great-granddaughter of John Walter, founder of The TimesShe was educated at...
as Queen Adelaide. Sarah's elder daughter, Princess Beatrice of York
Princess Beatrice of York
Princess Beatrice of York is the elder daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York...
, made her film debut in a small cameo role.
Filming
In consideration of the expense of a film shot in England, King initially sought to film in Germany and Eastern Europe. However, he came to the realization that it was vital The Young Victoria be filmed in its native country for authenticity. Due to The Duchess of York's status and connections with the British royal family, The Young Victoria was able to film in many actual palaces and other landmarks. The film had a ten-week shoot starting in August 2007. Scenes set at Westminster AbbeyWestminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
were filmed at Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral is a historic Anglican cathedral in Lincoln in England and seat of the Bishop of Lincoln in the Church of England. It was reputedly the tallest building in the world for 249 years . The central spire collapsed in 1549 and was not rebuilt...
in September and October, and Ham House was substituted for Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century and is the official London residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke and...
. Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace is a monumental country house situated in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, residence of the dukes of Marlborough. It is the only non-royal non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace. The palace, one of England's largest houses, was built between...
, Lancaster House
Lancaster House
Lancaster House is a mansion in the St. James's district in the West End of London. It is close to St. James's Palace and much of the site was once part of the palace complex...
, and Ditchley Park doubled for internal scenes of the monarch's main residence, Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
. Other scenes filmed at Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace is a royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Greater London; it has not been inhabited by the British royal family since the 18th century. The palace is located south west of Charing Cross and upstream of Central London on the River Thames...
, Arundel Castle
Arundel Castle
Arundel Castle in Arundel, West Sussex, England is a restored medieval castle. It was founded by Roger de Montgomery on Christmas Day 1067. Roger became the first to hold the earldom of Arundel by the graces of William the Conqueror...
in West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, Wilton House
Wilton House
Wilton House is an English country house situated at Wilton near Salisbury in Wiltshire. It has been the country seat of the Earls of Pembroke for over 400 years....
near Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
, Balls Park
Balls Park
Balls Park is a cricket ground in Hertford, Hertfordshire. The ground is located in the grounds of the Balls Park estate. The first recorded match on the ground was in 1865 between Hertford and a United South of England Eleven. In 1901, the ground hosted its first Minor Counties Championship...
, and Belvoir Castle
Belvoir Castle
Belvoir Castle is a stately home in the English county of Leicestershire, overlooking the Vale of Belvoir . It is a Grade I listed building....
in Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
. Week four of shooting was especially intensive, as filming was done at a different site each day, including Osterley Park, Greenwich Naval Base
Old Royal Naval College
The Old Royal Naval College is the architectural centrepiece of Maritime Greenwich, a World Heritage Site in Greenwich, London, described by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation as being of “outstanding universal value” and reckoned to be the “finest and most...
, Ham House, Novello Theatre
Novello Theatre
The Novello Theatre is a West End theatre on Aldwych, in the City of Westminster.-History:The theatre was built as one of a pair with the Aldwych Theatre on either side of the Waldorf Hotel, both being designed by W. G. R. Sprague. The theatre opened as the Waldorf Theatre on 22 May 1905, and was...
and Hampton Court.
Historical accuracy
Fellowes strove to make the script free of anachronismAnachronism
An anachronism—from the Greek ανά and χρόνος — is an inconsistency in some chronological arrangement, especially a chronological misplacing of persons, events, objects, or customs in regard to each other...
s, to the point where he became upset when actor Jim Broadbent
Jim Broadbent
James "Jim" Broadbent is an English theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for his roles in Iris, Moulin Rouge!, Topsy-Turvy, Hot Fuzz, and Bridget Jones' Diary...
ad-libbed and told someone to "Enjoy the meal" during a dinner scene, a phrase not proper for the time period. The writer commented, "Everything I have put into it is based entirely on fact. It just happens to be a story that not many people are familiar with." Fellowes has remarked that while he would not alter the "fundamental truth", such as the characters' real relationships to each other, he strove to "use episodes to illustrate the journey you're taking your characters, and with them, your audience".
Artistic license
Artistic licence is a colloquial term, sometimes euphemism, used to denote the distortion of fact, alteration of the conventions of grammar or language, or rewording of pre-existing text made by an artist to improve a piece of...
. For example, Prince Albert was never shot during an assassination attempt on Queen Victoria. Fellowes told BBC Radio 4's Film Programme
The Film programme
The Film programme is a British film review television programme, broadcast weekly on BBC One, presented by Claudia Winkleman and Danny Leigh. The title of the show changes each year to incorporate the year of broadcast, with the current series being Film 2011, but when referring to successive...
that in actuality the prince did put his body before the queen as protection, and that showing Prince Albert having been grazed by the bullet in the film was added to best show his bravery and devotion as he tried to stop Queen Victoria from being shot.
Another departure from history comes during Victoria's coronation scene. Unlike in the film Albert was not present at the ceremony; the couple instead wrote letters to each other, but Fellowes felt that having them keep opening letters would be less cinematic. Furthermore, according to Fellowes, "The scene where [Conroy] is trying to make her sign the paper when she is ill and she throws it to the floor - it's completely true", and "The scene in Windsor
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
where the King
William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
stands up and insults Victoria's mother is not only true, but about two-thirds of his speech is what he actually said!" However, the Duchess of Kent was seated next to the King when he spoke and did not leave during the speech; and, undepicted in the film, the princess burst into tears "and the two parties, soon realizing that they had gone too far, patched up an uneasy truce". According to Charles Greville's memoirs: "The Queen [Adelaide] looked in deep distress, the Princess [Victoria] burst into tears, and the whole company were aghast. The Duchess of Kent said not a word. Immediately after they rose and retired, and a terrible scene ensued; the Duchess announced her immediate departure and ordered her carriage, but a sort of reconciliation was patched up, and she was prevailed upon to stay till the next day."
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, PC, FRS was a British Whig statesman who served as Home Secretary and Prime Minister . He is best known for his intense and successful mentoring of Queen Victoria, at ages 18-21, in the ways of politics...
, who was prime minister when Victoria came to the throne and a political mentor to the young queen, was forty years her senior, but is portrayed as a much younger man in the film. As for King Leopold, he was her favourite uncle whose advice she constantly sought; her interest in Albert was due not to the latter's success in wooing her but simply to please Leopold.
Victoria's descendant Elizabeth II viewed the film in a special screening; according to one source, she believed the film had a "lot of good points", but was unhappy with the change to the assassination attempt, and also thought the British officers' costumes looked too German. Apart from the assassination attempt, historian Alex von Tunzelmann
Alex von Tunzelmann
-Education:Tunzelmann was educated in Brighton and at University College, Oxford University. There she read history and edited both Cherwell and Isis...
noted that "historically, [the film's] not at all bad", and especially praised the depiction of contemporary politics and the characteristics Friend put into his performance as Prince Albert.
Music
Director Vallee used his background as a DJ to "create a structure for a film using music with the right rhythm and balance. I wanted to combine classical pieces with a rock spirit". During filming Vallee often inputted rock music, such as The Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, to create the right "mood" before a scene. Executive producer Colin Vaines knew composer Ilan Eshkeri
Ilan Eshkeri
- Early life :Eshkeri was born in London. During his childhood, he learned to play the violin and guitar and later went on to play in a rock band. Eshkeri attended Leeds University where he studied music and English literature...
, and hired him for the film. Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
performed "Only You", which O'Sullivan described as "very much in line with one of the overriding aims of the film, which was to be hopeful and tell people that these amazing love stories really can happen, it’s not just a fairy tale." EMI Music released the film soundtrack. It received a nomination for the 2010 Ivor Novello Award for Best Original Score. The soundtrack includes the following tracks:
Release
Momentum PicturesMomentum Pictures
Momentum Pictures , an Alliance Films company, is one of the leading independent motion picture distributors in the UK and Ireland and releases approximately 20 theatrical films a year, with several stv releases....
handled distribution of The Young Victoria in the United Kingdom. The film's world premiere was held on 5 February 2009 at the 59th Berlin International Film Festival
59th Berlin International Film Festival
The 59th Berlin International Film Festival was held from 5 February to 15 February 2009. The opening film of this year's festival was Tom Tykwer’s The International, screened out of competition...
while its UK premiere was held in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Leicester Square
Leicester Square
Leicester Square is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. The Square lies within an area bound by Lisle Street, to the north; Charing Cross Road, to the east; Orange Street, to the south; and Whitcomb Street, to the west...
on 3 March. The film was released in UK theaters on 6 March 2009. On its opening week in the UK The Young Victoria grossed £1,016,053, and earned a total of £4,538,697 over its six week run.
A bidding war
Bid price
A bid price is the highest price that a buyer is willing to pay for a good. It is usually referred to simply as the "bid."In bid and ask, the bid price stands in contrast to the ask price or "offer", and the difference between the two is called the bid/ask spread.An unsolicited bid or purchase...
erupted over its US release, and American distribution studio Apparition
Apparition (company)
Apparition is a Los Angeles-based film distribution company founded by Bob Berney and Bill Pohlad in 2009. It purchases, distributes and markets films of a more "art house" and "cutting-edge" flavor than do major studios...
on the behalf of Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions is a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment. The company specializes in acquiring and producing films for a wide variety of distribution platforms, but the group's main focus is non-theatrical markets .SPWA was formerly a division of Sony Pictures Home...
won the rights to the film. At the time, Apparition executive Bob Berney noted the film is "very audience friendly and commercial." The Young Victoria earned USD $160,069 on its initial US release
Limited release
Limited release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing in a select few theaters across the country ....
on 18 December 2009, where it opened in twenty theaters. It expanded nationwide on Christmas Day, and grossed USD $11,001,272 by the end of its theatrical run. Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
film critic Owen Gleiberman
Owen Gleiberman
Owen Gleiberman is an American film critic for Entertainment Weekly, a position he has held since the magazine's launch in 1990. From 1981–89, he worked at the Boston Phoenix....
gave The Young Victoria a B+; he gave praise to Emily Blunt's performance and concluded, "The Young Victoria has a subtler flow than you might expect, and at times it's calmer than you may like. Director Jean-Marc Vallée's images have a creamy stateliness, but this is no gilded princess fantasy — it's the story of a budding ruler who learns to control her surroundings, and Blunt makes that journey at once authentic and relevant." Manohla Dargis
Manohla Dargis
Manohla Dargis is a chief film critic for The New York Times, along with A.O. Scott. She was formerly a chief film critic for the Los Angeles Times, the film editor at the LA Weekly, and a film critic at The Village Voice. She has written for a variety of publications, including Film Comment and...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
called it a "frivolously entertaining film" and believed it was "directed with some snap by Jean-Marc Vallée". Dargis finished her review, "Despite the filmmakers’ efforts to persuade us that The Young Victoria is a serious work, and despite some tense moments and gunfire, the movie’s pleasures are as light as its story. No matter. Albert may never rip Victoria’s bodice, but he does eventually loosen it, to her delight and ours."
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
called The Young Victoria a "production of the highest calibre with an impeccable cast." The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
Wendy Ide gave the film 3 out 5 stars wrote "It's decorative, but suffers from a stultifying lack of drama" and found similarities to the 1998 film Elizabeth
Elizabeth (film)
Elizabeth is a 1998 biographical film written by Michael Hirst, directed by Shekhar Kapur, and starring Cate Blanchett in the title role of Queen Elizabeth I of England, alongside Geoffrey Rush, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Fiennes, Sir John Gielgud, Fanny Ardant and Richard Attenborough...
. Ide found Victoria and Albert's relationship to be "persuasive and rather charming," and praised the performances of both the main and supporting cast, particularly noting Bettany's scene-stealing performance.
Less positive was Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw is a British writer and film critic. He was educated at Cambridge University, where he was President of Footlights.Bradshaw is a film critic for The Guardian...
, film critic for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, who gave the film two out of five stars. While initially looking forward to Blunt's performance, he believed the "black-belt minx" actress was "never really allowed to let rip. All that coiled feline sensuality stay[ed] coiled". He thought the queen's relationship with Prince Albert "very, very unsexy", as their devotion "makes for a boring movie". Bradshaw did however praise the power dynamics around Victoria, but concluded "I spent an hour and three-quarters waiting for this movie to start. Where was the tang and the zing and the oomph of Fellowes's cracking script for Robert Altman's Gosford Park?"
Accolades
Emily Blunt received a Golden Globe nomination in 2010 for Best Dramatic ActressGolden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama
The Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture - Drama was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as a separate category in 1951...
but lost to Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
for The Blind Side
The Blind Side (film)
The Blind Side is a 2009 American semi-biographical drama film. It is written and directed by John Lee Hancock, and based on the 2006 book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis. The storyline features Michael Oher, an offensive lineman who plays for the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL...
. Blunt received further nominations at the British Independent Film Awards
British Independent Film Awards 2009
The 12th British Independent Film Awards, held on 6 December 2009 at The Brewery in West London, honoured the best British independent films of 2009.-Best British Independent Film:* Moon* An Education* Fish Tank* In The Loop...
, Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2009
The 15th Critics' Choice Awards were presented on Friday, January 15, 2010 at the Hollywood Palladium to honour the finest achievements in 2009 film-making, on January 15, 2010 on VH1...
, and at the Empire Awards
Empire Awards 2010
The 15th Empire Awards , honoring the best in film in 2009, were held on March 28, 2010 at the Grosvenor House Hotel and hosted by Dara Ó Briain. Below is a complete list of nominees and winners...
, among others. The film also received three Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
nominations in 2010 for Best Art Direction
Academy Award for Best Art Direction
The Academy Awards are the oldest awards ceremony for achievements in motion pictures. The Academy Award for Best Art Direction recognizes achievement in art direction on a film. The films below are listed with their production year, so the Oscar 2000 for best art direction went to a film from 1999...
(which it lost to Avatar), Makeup (which it lost to Star Trek), and won for Costume Design. At the 2010 BAFTA
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
Awards, The Young Victoria won the awards for Best Costume Design
BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design
The British Academy Film Award for Best Costume Design is one of the annual film awards given by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.-1960s:* 1969 - Oh! What a Lovely War - Anthony Mendleson** Funny Girl – Irene Sharaff...
and Best Makeup and Hair.