In 1837, Victoria, at the age of only 18 years, became Queen of Great Britain and was to rule for 64 years. When Victoria was crowned no-one could have envisaged the profound changes that would take place in her long reign. When she died in 1901 the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland had become the leading world power, controlling one third of the known world,, creating the largest ever empire.

The greatest changes occured within society and culture. As well as the development of cheap, mass-produced goods in new factories, there also occured the arrival of mass media, improved communications and the creation of new newspapers. The rapidly expanding railway network and steam-powered ships brought raw materials from all over the world to produce these goods and helped transport the finished products throughout the country and much of the British Empire.