British monarch, the Queen of the United Kingdom (of Great Britain and Ireland) by the age of 18. She was the 1.52 m (5 ft) tall daughter of Prince Edward, who died when she was eight months old. She was brought up by her mother, who was so protective that the child even slept in her mother’s room. Uncle William IV assumed the throne after the death of Edward, and she assumed the throne after him. She ruled Britain for 63 years (1837-1901), a time when the sun never set on the British empire. Her reign marked the height of power in industrial growth at home and imperial expansion abroad. As the rural economy turned urban, England became the richest nation on earth.
Three years after assuming the throne she married her cousin, Prince Albert, on 10 February 1840 at 1 PM in London. It was a devoted match and they had four sons and five daughters together, all of whom survived. They worked well together, literally side by side at the same desk, and lived a lifestyle of modest affluence. Albert built Osborne house on the Isle of Wight but perhaps their favorite residence was in Scotland, where they built Balmoral castle. They were a domestic couple with an active family life, and very popular. When Albert died in 1861, Victoria dressed in mourning for the rest of her life and withdrew for years. There was speculation, never proven, that she had an intimate relationship with John Brown, who served the royal family for 34 years. The children hated Brown, nonetheless, when he died in 1883, Victoria had a statue of him built for Balmoral.
She died on 22 January 1901 on the Isle of Wight. She was succeeded by her eldest son, Edward VII.
Link to Wikipedia biography