Everything We Know About Victoria's Third Season

From Town & Country

The third season of Victoria is airing now on Masterpiece PBS in the States, but it won't premiere in the UK on ITV until later this year. Kevin Lygo, the head of the network, recently revealed that it will return to British television "in the spring or summer" of this year.

Read on for a (mostly) spoiler-free look at the latest installment of the royal drama about Queen Victoria's reign.

Here's your first look at the upcoming season:

Masterpiece PBS shared this interview with showrunner Daisy Goodwin, which previews what's to come for the young British monarch in the days leading up to the season three premiere:

A previous sneak peek was posted on Instagram back in October:

And just a few weeks later, the first teaser for the season, which promised new babies and unrest in the kingdom, premiered. Watch that clip here:

The third preview, the trailer up top, introduces viewers to a new visitor to the palace, Victoria's sister Feodora.

Unlike on The Crown, Victoria's major players will not be re-cast for Season 3.

Actress Jenna Coleman will reprise her role as the young Queen, and Tom Hughes will continue to play Prince Albert. "Jenna Coleman and Tom Hughes shine as Victoria and Albert, and it’s an honor to have them back for a third series, which covers a tumultuous period in our country’s history, filled to the brim with royal scandals, political skirmishes and constitutional crises, as new historical figures enter the saga to challenge Victoria and Albert as never before," said Damien Timmer, managing director of the show's production company, Mammoth Screen.

The show wrapped filming last year.

Jenna Coleman, and some of the other members of the cast, documented their time on set on Instagram. See a few snapshots below:

This season will start in 1848.

The year saw political and social upheaval across Europe, and was, says creator Daisy Goodwin, "a hugely dramatic and eventful time for both the royal family and Europe, with revolutions on the continent and uncertainty around the monarchy."

And the Queen's sex life will reportedly play a key role in the plot.

Despite the prudish reputation of the Victorian era, Queen Victoria very much enjoyed sex, even describing the early romance of her marriage as "heavenly bliss." But despite her enjoyment of the physical relationship she had with her husband, Victoria wasn't quite so keen on pregnancy, a conflict the third season will reportedly explore.

“She has six children in eight years–which is a lot – and there are some gaps, so I wonder whether there may have been some withholding [of sex] on both sides; that’s certainly something I’m going to explore in series three,” Goodwin said, speaking about season three, per Radio Times.

"She’s in this terrible double bind. She loves Albert and she loves going to bed with Albert. But every time he goes near her she gets pregnant. Obviously that suits him more than it suits her," she continued.

In total, Victoria had nine children over 17 years. Nicknamed the "grandmother of Europe," her descendants still reign over numerous countries including the United Kingdom, Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, and Sweden.

We won't lose Albert, yet.

Prince Albert died in 1861, but Goodwin says we won't get there in this season.

“I think we can safely say we’re not going to lose Albert in this series.” Goodwin said at the TCA summer press tour, according to Deadline. “It’s a really interesting time because Victoria just wants the love of her people. She’s almost like a child star who’s grown up with this affection and love, and when it’s withdrawn she’s empty and she doesn’t know what she’s for. But Albert thinks to be monarch is not necessarily to give people what they want, but what they need.”

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