Overview: Lucy Worsley re-stages the wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, including the most important elements of the ceremony and the celebrations, scouring archival materials and Queen Victoria's diaries for the details.

Lucy also tells the story of Victoria and Albert's courtship and engagement as she reveals how this one extraordinary event helped to invent modern marriage.

DVD Verdict: For those not in the know, the wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (later Prince Consort) took place on 10th February 1840 at Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace, in London.

Though queen, as an unmarried young woman Victoria was required by social convention to live with her mother, despite their differences over the Kensington System and her mother's continued reliance on Sir John Conroy.

Her mother was consigned to a remote apartment in Buckingham Palace, and Victoria often refused to meet her. When Victoria complained to Melbourne that her mother's close proximity promised "torment for many years", Melbourne sympathized but said it could be avoided by marriage, which Victoria called a "schocking [sic] alternative".

She showed interest in Albert's education for the future role he would have to play as her husband, but she resisted attempts to rush her into wedlock.

Victoria continued to praise Albert following his second visit in October 1839. Albert and Victoria felt mutual affection and the Queen proposed to him on 15 October 1839, just five days after he had arrived at Windsor.

They were married on 10th February 1840, in the Chapel Royal of St. James's Palace, London. Victoria was besotted. She spent the evening after their wedding lying down with a headache, but wrote ecstatically in her diary: "I NEVER, NEVER spent such an evening!!! MY DEAREST DEAREST DEAR Albert ... his excessive love & affection gave me feelings of heavenly love & happiness I never could have hoped to have felt before! He clasped me in his arms, & we kissed each other again & again!"

"His beauty, his sweetness & gentleness—really how can I ever be thankful enough to have such a Husband! ... to be called by names of tenderness, I have never yet heard used to me before—was bliss beyond belief! Oh! This was the happiest day of my life!"

Albert became an important political adviser as well as the Queen's companion, replacing Lord Melbourne as the dominant, influential figure in the first half of her life.

Once again I very much enjoyed Lucy Worsley's take on British social history here in 'Victoria & Albert: The Wedding'. This is an informative piece of work that filled the gaps in my understanding of the Victorian era.

Victoria's vivacity as a young queen was well brought out by an impishly beautiful Abbie Garland and the choices of George Merrick-Cunningham as Prince Albert and Mike Nettleship as Victoria's devoted Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne were good.

The analysis by historical experts, curators and archivists set details into context in a most engaging manner. A rewarding evening of TV in two parts. Worth watching! This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.85:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs.