Queen Victoria reigned over a period that took her name and over an "empire on which the sun never set." While countless volumes have been written about the Great Queen, recent scholarly work has meaningfully explored the queen's and the monarchy's place and role in Britain's global empire as well as the place of the monarchy and the queen in the complex, and often brutal, history of British imperialism. The long story of Victoria is the story of multiple Victorias over the course of a long reign who was employed as a symbol of benevolent British rule, who engaged (some of) her colonial subjects with interest and even empathy, but who also supported and advocated for the worst excesses of British warfare and expansion.

Queen Victoria: A Reference Guide to Her Life and Works explores the queen as well as the people, events, and ideas that shaped the life of the second-longest-reigning monarch in British history. It features a chronology, an introduction, a bibliography, and over 100 cross referenced dictionary entries. It gives particular attention to the imperial and global impact of the queen's rule and her engagement with various colonial subjects across the globe.