Victoria is a British period drama TV show that introduces a large family tree filled with familiar faces from the United Kingdom's history of rulers. The series follows the accession to the throne of the titular young monarch at age 18 in 1837, following the death of her uncle, King William IV. Victoria explores the monarch's quest to navigate her new status quo amid political chaos and ongoing turmoil within her family, the Parliament, and the international relations and crises she needs to address. The show is in the same vein as another Netflix series titled Empress.
Victoria ran for three seasons from 2016 to 2019, with each set of episodes focusing on different aspects of the character's growth and time with the throne. Aside from the titular monarch, the period drama also spotlighted some key family connections, such as Victoria's close relationship with Prime Minister Lord Melbourne, her eventual marriage to Prince Albert, and her exploration of motherhood with her firstborn, Princess Victoria.
Created by Daisy Goodwin, Victoria stars Jenna Coleman, Rufus Sewell, Tom Hughes, Catherine Flemming, and Peter Bowles. Victoria premiered on ITV in the United Kingdom on August 28, 2016, and concluded with its series finale on May 12, 2019. The series is experiencing a resurgence in popularity following its addition to Netflix on December 1, 2025.
Victoria Family Tree: Queen Victoria's Bloodline Explained
Queen Victoria
At the center of the story in Victoria is Queen Alexandrina Victoria, who was given an insurmountable task: taking over the throne of England at the tender age of 18. While she had a select few male family members ahead of her in the line of succession to the throne, the sad truth is that they all died without legitimate heirs, leaving Victoria as the sole heir to the throne.
Queen Victoria had a three-part journey in the period drama. Season 1 revolved around her first few years on the British throne, focusing on her interpersonal relationships with Lord Melbourne and Prince Albert.
Season 2 ramped up the stakes as it explored the queen's struggles in finding the perfect balance between prioritizing the throne and her family. Meanwhile, in Season 3, the main focus is on Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's married life, while they maintain control over their nine children.
Prince Albert
Prince Albert of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland is the eventual husband of Queen Victoria. While the pair started on the wrong foot, as they initially chose to focus on the differences in their personalities, Albert and Victoria eventually fell in love, with their engagement occurring as early as the third episode of Season 1.
After navigating the complexities of marrying a queen, Albert eventually proved himself worthy of being the admirable husband to Victoria, and they went on to have nine children after their marriage.
Princess Victoria
Princess Victoria is the Queen's mother and the Duchess of Kent. She is also the sister of Ernest I and King Leopold.
She is known for her suffocating and controlling nature, which is why the mother-daughter pair grew distant from one another. Although Princess Victoria had certain leverage over her daughter, Queen Alexandrina Victoria's strong will and defiance were all she needed to get out of her abusive mother's shadow.
Prince Ernest II
Prince Ernest II is part of the complex family tree in Victoria. He is Albert's free-spirited brother and Queen Victoria's first cousin. While he might come off as reckless at times, his unwavering loyalty to his brother reigns supreme. This is especially true after he proved it in Season 2, Episode 1, when he gave solid advice to Albert during a difficult time in his marriage to Queen Victoria.
King Ernest Augustus
King Ernest Augustus is Victoria's paternal uncle and the fifth son of King George III. He served as the primary villain of Victoria Season 1, mainly because he was bitter with Queen Victoria's ascension to the throne.
King Leopold I
King Leopold I of Belgium is Queen Victoria's and Albert's uncle, making him Princess Victoria and Ernest I's brother. He was instrumental in introducing Albert to Queen Victoria, which ultimately led to their romantic relationship and marriage.
Ernest I
Ernest I is the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and the father of Ernest II and Albert. He is also Queen Victoria's maternal uncle. Albert described his father as "profligate" in Season 2, Episode 2, meaning that he is recklessly extravagant to others, causing strain in their father-son dynamic.
Ernest I is not a perfect father to Albert and Ernest II, especially after the big revelation in Season 2, Episode 4, that he had cheated on his wife.
Princess Feodora
Princess Feodora of Leiningen is introduced in Victoria Season 3 as Queen Victoria's half-sister, who has a tragic backstory. Season 3, Episode 6 confirmed that their mother, Princess Victoria, and Leopold sent her away after King George IV considered marrying her to one of his brothers to produce an heir to the throne.
Queen Frederica
Joining the royal family tree is Queen Frederica of Hanover, Victoria's paternal aunt by marriage.
Prince George
In the world of Victoria, Prince George of Cambridge is Queen Victoria's first cousin and the son of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge. George was briefly introduced in Season 1 as a potential suitor for Queen Victoria, but his efforts didn't move forward due to Prince Albert's arrival.
Vicky
Princess Royal Vicky is Victoria's and Albert's eldest daughter. While she was still young in the series, the real-life princess eventually married Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia, who ultimately became the emperor of Germany.
Bertie
Prince Albert "Bertie" Edward is Victoria's and Albert's eldest son. In the history books, he succeeded his mother as King Edward VII, and through him, Queen Elizabeth is Victoria's great-great-granddaughter.
Prince Augustus
Victoria introduced King Ernest Augustus of Hanover as Queen Victoria's paternal uncle and Cecilia's husband. He is a recurring antagonist and is described by some as a menacing figure in the British political landscape.
Cecilia Underwood
Cecilia Underwood is the wife of Prince Augustus and the paternal aunt by marriage of Queen Victoria. She eventually became Duchess of Inverness at the end of March 1840.
Heidi
As Victoria's half-niece, Princess "Heidi" Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg is Feodora's daughter. Heidi's storyline in Victoria Season 3 involves a potential marriage proposal from Napoleon III as a way for Victoria to reduce Feodora's growing influence.
