Queen Victoria is most famous for the repressive moralistic atmosphere that was so pervasive in her reign, during what was later called the Victorian era. Queen Victoria reigned over the British Empire from 1837 to 1901.
The Victorian era was a time of vast social upheaval, largely in part to the Industrial Revolution and the social changes that resulted from the rise of an industrial lower class. A considerable backlash to this new class arose in the form of prejudice, class animosity and a prudish model of behavior for women, in particular.
Queen Victoria embodied much of what society expected of the Victorian women: sexual modesty, prudishness and devotion to husband, family and country. In the latter half of her life, however, she remained devoted to a Scottish servant named James Brown, flaunting the strict standards of class prejudice that was so prevalent in this era.
Queen Victoria, together with her Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, is also known for her role in British imperialism and the expansion of the British Empire. In 1876, she crowned herself the Empress of India. By the end of her rule, it was said that the sun never set on the British Empire. She also was the mother to nine children.
