‘Victoria’ Season 3 Is About The Queen’s Quandry With ‘Marital Relations’ & Her Role In A World Of Upheaval
Fans of Victoria on PBS’s Masterpiece Theater still have a wait of over three months before Season 3. It’s a tough wait, as everyone is left wondering what will happen next. Alas, it’s too early for many details about what Victoria will bring — except what can be read in the history books — but Town and Country recently compiled a little list about what might await viewers in January. Here’s what we know.
The plot will pick up in the year 1848. It was a significant year in European history, full and drama and major events for the United Kingdom and its royalty. Revolutionary uprisings and doubts about the monarchy will provide the historical backdrop for an enthralling series of events. There will be more, as always, than the stuff of history when Victoria returns to the small screen, however. The Victorian Era may be known for its chaste attitude toward the slightest hint of sex, but Queen Victoria enjoyed romance and, reportedly, the first few years of her marriage — which she called “heavenly bliss.” She faced a bit of a dilemma, however, as she rather enjoyed the physical relationship that she had in her marriage, but did not want children. That internal struggle will be examined in Season 3. Series Creator Daisy Goodwin elaborated on the topic.
“She’s in this terrible double bind. She loves Albert and she loves going to bed with Albert. But every time he goes near her she gets pregnant. Obviously that suits him more than it suits her.”
The Queen faces a crisis that threatens to end her reign… Here’s a first look at #VictoriaPBS, Season 3, premiering January 13, 2019 on MASTERPIECE @PBS. pic.twitter.com/oU5mvYMHFK
— MASTERPIECE | PBS (@masterpiecepbs) October 4, 2018
Since Season 3 begins in 1848 — and Albert didn’t die in real life until 1861 — have no fear. He is alive and well in the next series of Victoria episodes. Deadline relayed Goodwin’s description of the queen’s state of mind during the time that will serve as Season 3’s setting.
“It’s a really interesting time because Victoria just wants the love of her people. She’s almost like a child star who’s grown up with this affection and love, and when it’s withdrawn she’s empty and she doesn’t know what she’s for. But Albert thinks to be monarch is not necessarily to give people what they want, but what they need.”
And lastly, like with so many other English series (Downton Abbey for one), Season 3 of Victoria will be broadcast in Britain on the ITV network before appearing in the U.S. as part of PBS’s Masterpiece Theater. That has always been the case in the past, and will also be the case with Season 3.
