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Victoria: A Guide to the Important Characters

By Cheryl Wassenaar

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In PBS’ new series Victoria, there are plenty of characters, and they all basically have an agenda. Here’s a brief user’s guide.

Victoria, like pretty much any historical drama, has plenty of characters. Should you not be familiar with Victorian history, keeping all of the different characters straight can be a bit difficult. After all, this is a series that does have plenty of politicking at its heart.

As a result, we’ve put together a brief guide to the characters who play major roles so far in the show. We’ll start at the very top and work our way down.

The Royal Household

  • Victoria: Our heroine, and also the queen. 18 at the start of the series. Is finally starting to have opinions on things and the means to express them.
  • Albert: No, we haven’t quite met him yet, but he’ll show up soon enough. Her eventual husband and prince consort.
  • The Duchess of Kent: Victoria’s mother. German, and also has Victoria as part of her name (Mary Louisa Victoria). Very attached to Sir John Conroy. Insists on calling her daughter “Drina” even after Victoria drops “Alexandrina” from her name.

Screengrab from Victoria. Image via PBS

  • The Duke of Cumberland: Victoria’s uncle, and the person most likely to become regent if Conroy gets his way. Also the king of Hanover, which is why she asks him why he hasn’t left yet in the premiere. A son of George III.
  • The Duke of Kent: Victoria’s father. Dead at the start of the series, but if you pay attention, she takes his portrait to Buckingham with her.
  • Lady Emma Portman and Harriet, Duchess of Sutherland: The queen’s ladies-in-waiting, whom she doesn’t want to get rid of, even though they are married to Whigs.
  • Sir John Conroy: Controls the Duchess of Kent’s household. Trying very hard to do the same with Victoria.
  • Baroness Lehzen: Formerly a governess, and then controls the downstairs life at Buckingham.

Politicians

Image via ITV

  • Lord Melbourne: The queen’s first Prime Minister, who attempts to teach her the ways of politics. His wife, who died before the series starts, is why we call Lord Byron “mad, bad, and dangerous to know“, which explains a lot about why he didn’t marry again. A Whig.
  • Sir Robert Peel: The queen’s eventual second Prime Minister, who doesn’t have the same working relationship with her as Melbourne does. Really did have to deal with the Bedchamber Crisis. A Tory.
  • The Duke of Wellington: The same one who fought Napoleon, though he’s considerably older at the start of the series. Doesn’t want to be PM again.

The Servants

  • Mrs. Jenkins: The head dresser. Sells gloves on the side for extra money.
  • Mr. Penge: The steward, who doesn’t like Lehzen’s changes around the house.
  • Skerrett: The new younger dresser. Once worked at a house of ill repute.
  • Francatelli: The chef at Buckingham. Knows about Skerrett’s past.
  • Brodie: A footman who is very much on Team Penge.

What’s also important to realize is that everyone — even Victoria — has an agenda about what they want to see happen, even if it’s as minor as keeping the beeswax candles.

Next: Could a Game of Thrones Prequel Still Happen?

Victoria airs Sundays on PBS.

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