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The Young Victoria by Jean-Marc Vallee

 is the to the throne during the last years of the reign of her uncle . She is brought up under a strict set of rules devised by her mother (her having died when Victoria was a baby), the , along with the comptroller of the Duchess's household, , who calls it the "." Conroy hopes that William IV will die while Victoria is still a minor, which would mean that the Duchess would be appointed Regent, and he would be the through his considerable control of the Duchess. Victoria grows rebellious and resentful of her mother and Conroy's oppressive control of her every move. During an illness, her mother and Conroy attempt to force Victoria to sign papers that would make Conroy her personal secretary upon her majority. Although weak and ill, Victoria is strong enough to vehemently refuse this ploy, throwing the papers on the floor.

Her uncle of wishes to use his influence through family ties to secure an alliance between and . He realises his sister, the Duchess, exerts little influence over Victoria and decides to have his nephew seduce Victoria. Albert is trained by to learn Victoria's interests, including her favorite novels, music and opera. The Duchess invites the Coburg brothers, Albert and to visit the household. Victoria and Albert develop an early fondness for each other, despite Victoria knowing that Albert was sent by her uncle to win her favours. They begin writing to one another after Albert has returned home.

To maintain control over Victoria, Conroy and the Duchess keep her away from the King's court, and are unhappy when she insists on attending the King's birthday reception. At the reception in , the King, stating his wish to be closer to Victoria, insults her mother in public twice. The King increases Victoria's income but this is rejected by Conroy, who physically subdues her in front of her mother, heightening the animosity between them. The King is outraged and sends the to advise her. Victoria agrees to appoint Lord Melbourne as her private secretary, and he appoints her , including the .

King William dies after Victoria's 18th birthday, avoiding a regency. After accession, Victoria immediately begins to exert her independence, including moving into her own room and banishing Conroy from her household and coronation. During her first meeting with the , she announces, "I am young, but I am willing to learn. And I mean to devote my life in service of my country and my people. I look for your help in this." Victoria moves into the recently completed . Her aunt, , advises her against accepting all of Lord Melbourne's proposed ladies-in-waiting, but he persists. Lord Melbourne and Albert begin a battle for influence over Victoria. Albert goes to England to spend more time with Victoria. They bond further, dancing during her coronation and Albert hints at going further with their relationship but Victoria resists.

Lord Melbourne loses a vote in , leading Victoria to invite of the to form a new government. Victoria refuses to allow Peel to replace her ladies-in-waiting, who are allies of Lord Melbourne. Peel in turn refuses the queen's invitation, allowing Melbourne to continue as prime minister. The subsequent damages Victoria's popularity, leading to demonstrations outside the palace and insults hurled at her in public. The loneliness during the turbulence draws Victoria closer to Albert through their letters. She invites Albert to Britain and proposes marriage.

Victoria and Albert have a loving marriage, but Albert is frustrated at his initial powerlessness in the household. Queen Adelaide advises Victoria to allow Albert to take on more duties, which she does. He reorganises the running of the royal household and dismisses Conroy for mishandling funds. He also becomes Victoria's primary adviser, rejecting the influences of Lord Melbourne and King Leopold. He overreaches when he goes over Victoria's head in a matter with parliamentary politics, leading to a fierce argument between the two. One morning, while riding in a carriage together, Victoria is fired upon by a would-be assassin. Albert shields her, and his bravery leads to their reconciliation.

The final title card explains that Victoria and Albert had nine children. Their descendants are the royal families of , , , , , , , and . They led the country together for 20 years. Albert died from at age 42. In memory of him, Victoria had his clothes laid out every day until her death at the age of 81. Victoria and Albert championed reforms in education, welfare and industry. They also supported arts and sciences that were celebrated in of 1851. Victoria was the longest reigning British monarch until she was surpassed by her great-great-granddaughter in 2015.

I give it 3.5/5 stars