What happens
Queen Victoria accedes to the throne on the death of King William, and the transcript follows her early reign. Lord Melbourne, her trusted adviser, counsels her as she weighs the question of marriage. Her cousin Prince Albert arrives from Saxe-Coburg, and the two young people come to know each other. The episode is from the Campbell Playhouse, which presented the Mercury Theatre on the Air series, and was broadcast on June 2, 1939. Helen Hayes plays the queen and Orson Welles appears alongside her. The broadcast draws on Victoria's own diary as well as the stage play.
England, 1837 to 1840, including the royal palace at Kensington and Windsor
Characters: Queen Victoria, Lord Melbourne, Prince Albert, Duchess of Kent, Anne, Baron Stockmar
Listen for: Victoria's reaction to Albert's arrival and her discussions with Lord Melbourne about choosing a husband
Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.