King Leopold

King Leopold of Belgium is Victoria's uncle and self-appointed mentor, a seasoned continental monarch who arrives at the new queen's court certain he knows better than she does. He writes letters thick with advice, expects gratitude and deference in return, and cannot quite believe that his niece intends to actually rule rather than be guided.

Alex Jennings gives Leopold a silky, avuncular charm that makes his condescension go down easy before you notice how controlling it is. The writing uses him to dramatise the pressure young Victoria faces from every older man convinced he should hold the reins, and Jennings plays that pressure as affection, which is what makes it sting.