Julian Fellowes, you know the chap, played ‘Kilwillie’ in BBCTV’s ‘Monarch Of The Glen’, is a really clever man. He wrote ‘The Young Victoria’. You sort of obtain the feeling that he really enjoys being so outstandingly talented. Well, he is not the only clever clogs to have worked on this perfectly pleasant costume drama, as the former Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, clearly redeeming herself with HM The Queen, was one of the producers.

Quite what she knows about Queen Victoria other than the feistiness portrayed by Emily Blunt, as the good Queen herself, has surely emerged in this excellent tale of the teenage princess’s upbringing, just prior to her becoming the longest serving royal ever that Great Britain has had. It is a love story. The story that develops from her first meeting with Prince Albert, who is played exquisitely by Rupert Friend, who might all too readily be part of a regal plot to enable King Leopold of Belgium (Thomas Kretschmann) to enlarge his responsibilities by becoming Regent over the British Isles. Victoria refused resolutely to sign the papers. Were we not a lucky lot? Oh, how those royals plotted. Mind you, Victoria did not do too bad a task of providing enough members of the Royal Household, nine in total, from her subsequent union with Albert, to populate the Royal Houses of most of Europe.

The rest of the cast is equally stellar. Paul Bettany, as Lord Melbourne, might have acted as Victoria’s marital suitor, in much the same way of the elder Victoria’s John Brown, had the young Queen not realised that Albert was the better chap. He is ably supported by the wonderful Miranda Richardson, as The Duchess of Kent, which is a surprisingly sinister role, considering that she was the mother of the young Queen, although her role was enhanced by the outstanding Mark Strong, as Sir John Conroy, whom I am considering renaming ‘The Chameleon Man’ for the vast number of top-billing roles he has played on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. He truly deserves all the accolades he receives. However, the talent just goes on and on, with the superb Jim Broadbent, as King William, The Queen’s childless uncle, heading a list that is as long as your arm.

The irrepressible Sandy Powell did the costumes, which were spectacular, Sinead O’Connor sang the theme tune at the end and good old Martin Scorsese had his hand in the production somewhere. If that little lot does not represent a short-list of phenomenal talent, then I recommend that you forget even considering this title. For those that like a bit of history that unusually deals with the other end of the great Queen’s life, then buy it now. You will not regret it.