PRESS RELEASE:

At the time of Queen Victoria's birth in 1819, England was an agrarian society. Within a few short decades, this small isalnd nation was transformed into an industrial superpower, with an empire spanning the globe. Queen Victoria's Empire, a two-part series, airs on KUED Tuesdays June 19 and 26 at 7:00 p.m. The series is both of story of this time and a portrait of a queen who ruled over one fifth of the world's population.

It is also the story of the influential figures who would shape a distinctively British imperialism: Gladstone, Disraeli, Livingstone, Rhodes and Prince Albert, Victoria's husband. Whether driven by profit, passion or noble ideals, these figures fueled an expansion unequaled in history, forever changing Britain and the lands it controlled. Personal accounts, re-enactments and cinematography from former outposts of the empire, including India and Africa, recreate the dramatic clash of personalities and cultures that drove Victoria's remarkable 64-year reign.

The first installment of Queen Victoria's Empire, "Engines of Change," begins with the birth of Queen Victoria. This episode will explore the changes brought to Britain by the industrial revolution. By the 1840's, urban migration had created overcrowding and extremes in pollution and poverty. However, British subjects remained loyal to their queen. Prince Albert, Victoria's husband, became a guiding force in the monarchy. Benjamin Disraeli and William Gladstone, political stars with starkly contrasting visions for the empire, turned the nation's attention abroad.

In the second installment, British is the wealthiest and most powerful nation on earth by 1861. However, the death of Price Albert weakens Victoria, and many of his political ideals fade in importance.

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