Queen Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom from 1837 until her death in 1901. She was born on May 24, 1819, and became queen at the age of 18. Her reign, known as the Victorian Era, was marked by significant industrial, cultural, and scientific advancements, as well as the expansion of the British Empire. Victoria married her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, in 1840, and they had nine children together. After Albert's death in 1861, she entered a long period of mourning. Queen Victoria's legacy includes her influence on the monarchy and her role in shaping modern Britain, as well as her connection to many European royal families through her children, often referred to as the "Grandmother of Europe."