Queen Victoria had all died, leaving no surviving legitimate children. The United Kingdom was already an established constitutional monarchy, in which the sovereign held relatively little direct political power. Privately, Victoria attempted to influence government policy and ministerial appointments; publicly, she became a national icon who was identified with strict standards of personal morality. Victoria married her first cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1840. Their nine children married into royal and noble families across the continent, tying them together and earning her the sobriquet "the grandmother of Europe". After Albert's death in 1861, Victoria plunged into deep mourning and
Albert and Victoria by Barbara Murray was intended to last for the entire second series; however, during filming, Murray had a miscarriage. She was then replaced by Frances Bennett for the final four episodes. Albert Hackett is a middle-class man in late 19th-century Britain, who is used to getting the final word over his wife Victoria and their five children. The first series of "Albert and Victoria" aired for six thirty-minute episodes on ITV from 13 June to 18 July 1970, airing on Saturday evenings at 6.45pm. On Christmas Day 1970, a short special aired as part of "All-Star Comedy Carnival". A second