Empire (67th of 90) -- Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee [audio 15min]

By 1897, Victoria had ruled through the greatest domestic, cultural and industrial changes in any 60 year period of British history since 1649. By 1897, it had been 60 years of extraordinary British expansion. It had started in 1837 with rebellion in Canada. Then came war in Afghanistan, in China (the Opium Wars) and the acquisition of Hong Kong; in 1854, the Crimea War; in 1857, the Sepoy Rebellion that was to change for ever the way the British ruled India. In 1869, the Suez Canal opened. Then came the Ashanti Wars and in 1876 Victoria was proclaimed Empress. "This Sceptred Isle: Empire" is a narrative history of the British Empire from Ireland in the 12th century to the independence of India in the 20th, told in 90 programmes written by historian Christopher Lee and narrated by actor Juliet Stevenson. ~Visit website to listen again to 5 most recent episodes, plus interactive maps and timeline, biographical dictionary, image galleries, listeners' comments, quizzes, sources and resources.