Turns out “keeping peace in the family” is a bit harder when everyone has an army.

The main reason why Queen Victoria failed to stop World War I was that she was slightly dead in 1914.

"Because she'd been dead for 13 years by then." You're welcome.

I know families can fall out but this was extreme

And I thought I had it rough with MY family 😂

she has the loveliest voice

Never been this early. Gotta love how much of world history boils down to family squabbles fought with armies.

Victoria and her husband Prince Albert had the mistaken belief that family ties would preserve peace on an international scale.

Tbf to Victoria, she had been dead for 13 years prior to the start of WW1. No wonder she failed to stop it.

I'd posit that we're still dealing with the fallout of this mess right now.

This woman’s voice is mesmerizing. I could listen to her narrate a phone directory.

This lady Deborah Cadbury has a great voice for documentaries. Thanks to her for her expertise on this issue!

Um, this was not an idea originated by Victoria and Albert. The royal empires of Europe were strategically intermarrying for over 1000 years in order to deliberately create family bonds between nations that would hopefully create peaceful ties and powerful allies. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. But it was a LONGstanding royal strategic move. It was pretty much expected and required of every leader's children for hundreds and hundreds of years. Victoria and Albert were doing what had "always been done" because that's how you run a successful kingdom.

I’d encourage anyone who thinks that Ms. Cadbury is AI to search her name here on YouTube and watch some of the old videos of her present here.

That is indeed her real voice; she is also a member of the Cadbury family.

Thank you for another enjoyable, interesting and informative presentation.....The simple fact is, as  ALL Parents know, they cannot control their Children, even if they are Royalty !!!!!.. I truly appreciate and respect the  knowledge and enthusiasm of the historians involved in these wonderful IWM video's

Queen Victoria's plans seem to have been the last hurrah for Constitutional Monarchy having any kind of influence on politics. By the end of her lifetime, the world had changed and the aristocracy of old simply had no place in the world's politics. Those monarchs who were left fell victim to their country's politics far more than they brought their own political influence. It's clear why, post war, marriages between royal families have become rare - they are no longer politically advantageous. Now a royal family is just another rich family and they marry into other rich families.

With the kings of Europe failing to stop wars with their brothers it was clear by the end of ww1 that the age of kings was well and truly over.

Fun fact: before WWI there were casualties from American Civil War battles that ran around 30K deaths for each side.
Perhaps they mean that those kinds of numbers hadn't been seen before on European soil. But then there's those battles from Napoleon's campaigns.........

I cant believe that the first battles of WW I fought by men forming battle lines with officers in front and standards on the center like its 1871 as depicted in 6:31

Saddest part is her eldest daughters son started WWI, he hated his British relatives, including his own mother..

I very much recommend Christopher Clark: "The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914"
The situation in Europe (and not only there) was very complex and shaped by tensions all over the place.
The collapse of the Ottoman empire and the Balkan wars played a role.
And Great Britain tried get Germany, which was becoming an serious economical threat, involved in a two front war with France and Russia, which would also keep France busy.