15 Pieces of History That Victoria Did Differently

Rufus Sewell as Lord Melbourne (Photo: (C) ITV Plc)

Rufus Sewell is WAY Hotter Than the Real Lord Melbourne

Dreamy British actor Rufus Sewell is one of the highlights of the first season of Victoria. But his charismatic portrayal of the queen’s first Prime Minister was more brooding Austen hero than real life representation. For example, the real William Lamb would have been roughly a decade older at this point in his life than he is on the show. He certainly didn’t look much like the swoon-worth Sewell. The real Melbourne was witty and refined, and had quite a reputation with women. He had even been publicly accused of “criminal conversation” with a married woman. (This was a legal term that basically meant “adultery”.) Despite the fact that Melbourne was clearly very reliable with the ladies, he was also grossly overweight. He even had a bad habit of falling asleep in public and frequently snored while he did so. (Yikes.) Clearly he must have had something going for him….

Melbourne really did have a tragic, rather scandal-ridden backstory, however. His wife Caroline had a notorious affair with the poet Lord Byron. (She’s actually the person who originally described him as “mad, bad and dangerous to know”.) Even after the two ended their affair, Caroline remained obsessed with him. She eventually published a Gothic novel called Glenarvon, which featured spiteful depictions of several leading society types. These included herself, her husband, Byron, and others. This further embarrassed Melbourne and made them both more than a few enemies. (Seriously, Caroline’s life story is worth reading about on its own. It’s wild.)

Caroline and Melbourne reconciled eventually, but she turned to drink and drugs. She died when she was just 42, in 1828. And then Melbourne’s young son, who likely suffered from a development disability, passed away in 1836.  This was just a year before Victoria came to the throne. So his depression on that score in the series’ second episode? Probably legit.