John Brown, a Scottish gillie who had previously accompanied Victoria when horse riding at Balmoral before she was widowed, managed to break through societal boundaries and befriend the Queen.

“Queen Victoria and Her Prime Ministers” is all politics and personalities, while “Q: A Voyage Around the Queen,” has neither. And Elizabeth herself remains a cipher. Brown describes his ...

Queen Victoria restored the reputation of a monarchy ... She became very close to John Brown, a servant at Balmoral Castle, even though her children resented him. Victoria was called ‘Mrs ...