Queen Victoria's Men
Opinion
We asked a number of the guest presenters in the 'Queen Victoria's Men' programme for their thoughts on Queen Victoria. This is what they told us…
Walter L Arnstein
"To familiarize viewers with Queen Victoria through her interactions with five of the men who played central roles in her life impresses me as an intriguing manner in which to shed light both on her personality and on her world. One might think that the roles of prime minister, husband, and favoured servant differed hugely; yet in the Queen's eyes they did not. She felt certain that all five of the men treated in the film – Melbourne, Albert, Brown, Disraeli, Abdul Karim – merited her intense personal admiration and that their assistance to the monarch deserved the appreciation also of the millions of people who constituted her kingdom and her empire."
"To familiarize viewers with Queen Victoria through her interactions with five of the men who played central roles in her life impresses me as an intriguing manner in which to shed light both on her personality and on her world. One might think that the roles of prime minister, husband, and favoured servant differed hugely; yet in the Queen's eyes they did not. She felt certain that all five of the men treated in the film – Melbourne, Albert, Brown, Disraeli, Abdul Karim – merited her intense personal admiration and that their assistance to the monarch deserved the appreciation also of the millions of people who constituted her kingdom and her empire."
About
Walter L Arnstein is Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His books include 'Queen Victoria' (2003) and 'Britain Yesterday & Today: 1832 to the Present' (2001), a volume that has introduced the subject to more than 250,000 American and Canadian university students. He is a former president of the North American Conference on British Studies.
Walter L Arnstein is Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His books include 'Queen Victoria' (2003) and 'Britain Yesterday & Today: 1832 to the Present' (2001), a volume that has introduced the subject to more than 250,000 American and Canadian university students. He is a former president of the North American Conference on British Studies.
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