who know . dowdy queen victoria and the plump monarch who be a virtual recluse for 40 year after the death of her husband and prince albert and actually lead a life fraught with drama and intrigue in her young day . the young victoria not only chronicle the young queen romance with her husband to be but also do a pretty good job of detail the political machination surround her ascent to the throne . the act i et up draw you in right away . follow the death of victoria father and the duke of kent in 1820 and less than a year after victoria birth and the duchess of kent eventually hook up with former army officer john conroy and who offer his service a comptroller to the widow and her infant queen to be . conroy insist that victoria be raise under the atrocious kensington system and rule design to prevent the future queen from have any contact with other child while grow up . what more and victoria be force to sleep in her mother bedroom everyday until she become queen . the film explain that in 1830 parliament pass the regency act and which establish that victoria mother would become regent ( and hence guardian ) in the event that victoria accede to the throne while still a minor . during this time and the duchess and conroy try to intimidate the hapless princess and insist that she sign paper make conroy her private secretary and treasurer . strong will victoria would have none of it and and refuse to go along with conroy and her mother nefarious plan . the duchess dislike king william a she regard him a a philanderer who bring disrespect to the monarchy while the king felt the duchess disrespect his wife . a a result and the duchess attempt to limit victoria contact with the king . in an over the top scene which seem to actually have occur in history and the king berate the duchess at his birthday banquet and state that it be his goal to survive until victoria reach her 18th birthday so that her mother would not become regent . king william keep his word and die a short time after victoria become eligible to accede to the throne . victoria take revenge on her mother for her support of conroy and whom she blame for make her childhood so miserable . they be both banish to a secluded apartment in buckingham palace and for a number of year victoria have little contact with her mother . the young victoria convey the excitement and pomp and circumstance surround victoria coronation a queen . a good part of the film deal with victoria relationship with lord melbourne and the whig party prime minister who unfortunately be depict in the film a much young than he actually be . in the beginning melbourne gain the young queen trust and they become good friend . in the early year of her reign and she see melbourne a a progressive and but later lose respect for him somewhat a he reveal to be a typical politician and hide his contempt for the mass whom he suppose to be champion . in reality and melbourne be more a father figure to victoria and but the film hint at some sexual tension between the prime minister and prince albert and a though they be romantic rival . the plot thicken when melbourne be force out and the queen must commission sir robert peel and of the more conservative tory party and a the new prime minister . the film chronicle the event of the bedchamber crisis in which peel resign after victoria refuse to replace some of her bedchamber lady with the wife of tory politician . the film leave out another scandal which involve a lady hastings and one of the duchess lady in wait who be accuse of have an affair with john conroy and become pregnant by him . because of her hatred for conroy and victoria contribute to the nasty rumor be spread about hastings alleged pregnancy . a it turn out and hastings only appear pregnantwhat she actually have be an abdominal tumor . victoria inexperience show during the bedchamber crisis but the film scenarist ignore some of the more unsavory aspect of her character a evidence by the hastings affair . the rest of the the young victoria deal with of course the romance between the queen and prince albert . victoria keep albert waiting and a the film make clear and since she want to acclimate herself to her duty a the new sovereign . they spend a good deal of time correspond with one another until albert return to england and give victoria support during the try time of the bedchamber crisis . i find a good number of parallel between prince albert and prince philip and the current queen husband . while philip be mainly danish and he go to school in germany and have in law who be of german background . both albert and philip make it their business to reform etiquette in the court ( there a great scene where albert discover that the servant be still set a table for king george iii even though he have be dead for year . ) . albert struggle be the same for philipas husband of monarch and they have to find something to do . both albert and philip become involve in various civic project and prove that they do not have to live continually in the shadow of their ever popular wife . fortunately there an excellent scene toward the end of the film where albert infuriate victoria with what she perceive a his interference in her affair . albert doesn not want a second bedchamber crisis so he go over his wife head and arrange a compromise involve victoria bedchamber lady . victoria be barely talk to albert when an assassin bullet almost cut them both down ( in the film albert be shoot in the arm but this never happen . ) . the performance in the film be uniformly excellent and especially the principal and emily blunt and rupert friend . the young victoria end rather abruptly and the closing credit lean too much toward hagiography ( no mention of victoria depression after albert death ) . but victoria be still an engaging drama and fascinating history lesson .