What To Know
- Victoria, starring Jenna Coleman, has gained renewed popularity on Netflix after originally airing on ITV and PBS.
- The series ended on a cliffhanger in Season 3, with Prince Albert collapsing after the Great Exhibition.
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Victoria Seasons 1 through 3.]
Netflix’s newest streaming hit might be fresh for some audiences, but for others, British series Victoria is a beloved favorite, as the royal story wrapped in a timeless love story makes waves on the streaming giant.
Starring Jenna Coleman as a young Queen Victoria and Tom Hughes as her devoted husband, Prince Albert, Victoria first began bewitching audiences when it debuted on ITV in the United Kingdom in 2016. Co-produced by PBS, it began airing in the United States in 2017 as part of the Masterpiece anthology. Now on Netflix for the first time, the series has discovered a whole new audience who are devouring all three seasons with vigor, bringing it into Netflix’s Top 10 most-watched offerings.
With the recent boost in popularity and its renewed cultural momentum, fans are naturally wondering what comes next for Victoria and whether the royal drama will ever return for a fourth season. Here is everything we know about the series and whether there shall be a royal return.
ITV for Masterpiece/Courtesy of Everett Collection
Who stars in Victoria?
Coleman starred as Queen Victoria, while Hughes played Prince Albert, and Rufus Sewell portrayed Lord Melbourne. Other significant cast members include Daniela Holtz as Baroness Lehzen, Catherine Flemming as the Duchess of Kent, Nell Hudson as Nancy Skerrettand, and Paul Rhys as Sir John Conroy.
What is Victoria about?
The official logline for the series was: “Jenna Coleman (Doctor Who) stars as her fearless Majesty Queen Victoria. We’re treated to the queen’s remarkable and emotional story, from her giddy ascension to the British throne at age 18, infatuation with dashing mentor Lord Melbourne (Rufus Sewell), passionate romance with and early marriage to Germany’s Prince Albert (Tom Hughes), and growth into her royal role.”
Season 1 followed the young queen as she ascended to the throne at age 18 in 1837. During this time, Victoria learned how to rule and grew into her role, evolving from a girl to a queen. She also navigated political and personal challenges, cultivating her relationships with her Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne (Sewell), and her eventual husband, Prince Albert (Hughes).
Spanning the years of 1840 to 1849, Season 2 focused on Victoria’s role as queen, wife, and mother as she attempted to balance her duties and keep her personal life afloat while navigating the occasional international crisis. In this season, Victoria battled postpartum depression after the birth of her first two children while dealing with marital strain and a royal stalker. On the political front, Victoria addressed the Irish Potato Famine and the Anglo-Afghan War.
Season 3 covered the turbulent years from 1848 to 1851, during which political upheaval defined Europe and Britain due to revolution. The season also featured the arrival of Victoria’s estranged half-sister, Princess Feodora (Kate Fleetwood).
How did Victoria end?
Victoria ended on a cliffhanger as Prince Albert collapsed at the end of Season 3 after the success of the Great Exhibition, an international celebration of industrial, technological, and artistic achievements held in London’s Crystal Palace.
ITV/PBS
Will there be a Victoria Season 4?
The show was not renewed for Season 4, though the ending was a deliberate setup for a future installment. The final moments of the series showed Victoria and Albert in an embrace right before he collapsed.
Historically, Albert did not die until a decade after the events depicted in Season 3 (his death was caused by illness in 1861), so there is room for additional seasons.
In 2019, Coleman told Graham Norton that the show was “definitely going to take a break, bit of a breather, and then we’re working out [what to do next].”
At the time, Victoria’s creator Daisy Goodwin told the Radio Times, “I know where the series is going, it’s all there… I think series four is going to be amazing. At some point, we will have to recast, but hopefully not yet.”
Then, in 2020, Coleman explained to the Tatler, “There may be another series. I’m waiting until I age a bit more. There’s too much of a good story (not to make any more series).”
ITV confirmed in 2021 that a fourth series was not in active development.
Victoria, Series 1 – 3 available to stream, Netflix