While grief-stricken by the death of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's long years of widowhood were not devoid of intimacy. Prunella Scales concludes her role as both presenter and star in this two-part dramatised documentary by examining the queen's close bonds with Scottish ghillie John Brown and Indian servant "the Munshi". With Andrew Sachs, Hugh Lloyd, David Ryall, and historian Lucinda Lambton.

Drama Documentary: Looking for Victoria 9.00pm BBC1

The second part of this enjoyable exploration for the truth about Queen Victoria looks at her life after the death of Albert.
After a prolonged period of mourning, she became close first to the Scottish ghillie John Brown and then, after he died, to a 24-year-old Indian servant she called "the Munshi".
Both these relationships had tongues wagging and, although it's never been proved that the Queen behaved improperly with Brown, entries in the diary of Victorian poet Wilfred Blunt suggest that when the pair stayed in the royal family's retreat in Scotland she "accorded him every conjugal privilege". Even more tantalising is Lucinda Lambton's assertion that Victoria actually married Brown. She says the wedding certificate was found by an eminent historian. He took it to the late Queen Mother, who "looked at it, read it, rolled it up in a ball and threw it in the fire".
The acting, particularly that of Scales as the elderly, grim-faced queen, is splendid, and the gossip scenes from Hugh Lloyd, Andrew Sachs and David Ryall are delightful. (Jane Rackham)