Despite the longevity of Queen Elizabeth II, it's Queen Victoria who still holds the record for the longest-ruling female monarch — upon her death in 1901, she had reigned for nearly 64 years. Though set within a constitutional monarchy in which power was increasingly devolving to elected officials, Victoria oversaw the expansion of the British Empire, particularly in its crown-colonial jewel, India. Britain's rise was so pronounced and profound during her reign that Victoria's name would lend itself to an entire age of industrial and technological progress. But it also became a watchword domestically for things far less exhilarating — Victorian society was one of stultifying prudishness and rigid morals, embodied by Britain's sour-faced empress.
Favorite Quotation
• "I would venture to warn against too great intimacy with artists as it is very seductive and a little dangerous."
• "We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat. They do not exist."
• "The Queen is most anxious to enlist everyone in checking this mad, wicked folly of 'Women's Rights.' It is a subject which makes the Queen so furious that she cannot contain herself."
• "The important thing is not what they think of me, but what I think of them."
Likes and Interests
Being related to every other royal in Europe, being empress (forever), shiny gems, sitting.
Recent Status Updates
• "This amuses us ... not."
• "Yes, I'm still here."