Queen Victoria's secret love affair

Did Queen Victoria have a romantic relationship – perhaps even involving a secret marriage and a child – with her servant John Brown? Fern Riddell investigates

Published: August 1, 2025 at 12:01 AM

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Ever since the 1870s, rumours have swirled around Queen Victoria and her Highland servant John Brown. Were the pair in love? Could they have got married? And might they even have had a secret child? Historian Fern Riddell investigates these claims in her book Victoria's Secret, and has made some dramatic discoveries that she believes cast the story in a new light. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, she outlines her findings.

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Fern Riddell is the author of Victoria's Secret: The Private Passion of a Queen (Ebury, 2025).

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Authors

Ellie CawthorneHead of content (audio)

Ellie Cawthorne is head of content (audio) at HistoryExtra

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