Movie · 2009 · Drama, History, Romance · 1h 45m · PG · English
Curator score: 4.5/10 (102.9K ratings)
Love rules all.
Overview
As the only legitimate heir of England's King William, teenage Victoria gets caught up in the political machinations of her own family. Victoria's mother wants her to sign a regency order, while her Belgian uncle schemes to arrange a marriage between the future monarch and Prince Albert, the man who will become the love of her life.
Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent, Thomas Kretschmann, Mark Strong, Jesper Christensen, Harriet Walter, Jeanette Hain, Michiel Huisman, Rachael Stirling, Julian Glover, Michael Maloney, Genevieve O'Reilly, Morven Christie, Tom Fisher, David Horovitch, Michaela Brooks, Grace Smith
Where to watch
BritBox
Curator Review
Verdict
A polished, intimate royal romance with strong production design and an appealing central performance, but it stays relatively restrained and can feel emotionally muted or rushed in the later stretches. Best for viewers who like historical costume dramas that lean more romantic and character-driven than sweeping or scandalous.
Best for
fans of elegant period dramas
viewers who enjoy restrained historical romance
audiences interested in British monarchy stories
Emily Blunt admirers
people who prefer intimate, polished costume pieces
Skip if
you want a big, melodramatic royal epic
you prefer sharper political intrigue over romance
you need a highly kinetic or visually flamboyant period film
you are looking for a deeply revisionist historical drama
Overview
The Young Victoria is a tasteful, well-acted portrait of a monarch coming into her own, with Emily Blunt giving the film its warmth and spine. It’s strongest when it focuses on Victoria’s private life and the emotional cost of power, rather than trying to turn every court maneuver into a grand spectacle.
Worth noting
The romance is the film’s main engine, and it works because it feels grounded in companionship as much as passion. That said, the movie often plays things safely, which can leave the political material and even some of the emotional beats feeling compressed.
Bottom line
As a costume drama, it’s handsome and easy to watch, with enough sincerity to make it appealing even when it doesn’t fully soar. If you like your historical films refined, romantic, and modest in scale, this is a solid pick.
Top Letterboxd reviews
angela (4★) · 613 likes
when albert said, “good morning, wife” i cried a bit because it hit me that i will never be able to wake up next to my wife, emily blunt, and tell her good morning
lauren (3.5★) · 525 likes
look me in the eyes and tell me victoria laying out all of albert's clothes everyday after his death until the day she died isn't the most depressing fact in all of british monarch history
vee (2.5★) · 417 likes
my dad: you were named after victoria
victoria: goes back to sleep right after finding out she's queen
me: sounds about right
sarah (3.5★) · 334 likes
watching royal period films like *googles family tree* *looks up cast* wait did that really happen? *googles historical events*
Emma (4★) · 308 likes
when Albert entered the room in tight pants with not 1 but 2 greyhounds 💕😍✨🦋💖💛💕
2018 · History, Comedy, Drama · 2h · R · Curator 8.7/10 (1.2M ratings)
A sharper, more mischievous take on royal power, intimacy, and court politics, with a very different tone but similar interest in the private lives of rulers.