Victoria's Secret: The Private Passion of a Queen (hardback), by Fern Riddell
 
'A witty, compelling, irresistible read that unpretentiously reveals a great deal about the Victorian age.' Sathnam Sanghera

'A meticulous unravelling of a 160-year-old mystery' Emily Brand

A passionate and provocative re-evaluation of Queen Victoria's relationship with her servant John Brown that uncovers the secrets the royal machine keeps from us, by acclaimed historian Dr Fern Riddell.

From the moment John Brown arrived as a servant to Queen Victoria's household, he became known across the land as her loyal companion, her fierce protector, and her right-hand man, their friendship immortalised in print and later on-screen. But what if there was more to their relationship than we know? And what has history been hiding from us?

Rumours have swirled around this relationship for years as historians have attempted to bring the truth to light – now for the first time, Dr Fern Riddell re-examines everything we thought we knew about one of Britain's most iconic women. Through unearthing groundbreaking new evidence, Riddell challenges the prevalent image of Victoria as a grieving widow to create a compelling human portrait of a woman in passionate midlife.

Against a backdrop of court politics, family dynasties and the magic of the Highlands, Victoria’s Secret untangles the mysteries that the royal family have tried to keep hidden for generations, forcing us to question ‘who really writes our history’?

Both a timeless romance and an extraordinary retelling of the emotional life of a queen, Victoria's Secret is an unmissable account of a woman in love.