“Please understand there is no depression in this house and we are not interested in the possibilities of defeat. They do not exist.”

“The Queen (Victoria) wrote generously to her mother, 'I quite understand your feelings on the occasion of Sir John Conroy's death. . . I will not speak of the past and the many sufferings he entailed on us by creating divisions between you and me which could never have existed otherwise, they are buried with him.. For his poor wife and children I am truly sorry." Thanking the Queen for her letter the Duchess of Kent wrote 'Yes, Sir John Conroy's death was a most painful shock. I shall not try and excuse the many errors that unfortunate man committed, but it would be very unjust if I allowed all the blame to be thrown on him. I am in justice bound to accuse myself. . . I erred in believing blindly, in acting with out refection. . . I allowed myself unintentionally to be led led to hurt you, my dearest child, for whom I would have given at every moment my life! Refection came always too late, but not the deserved punishment! My sufferings were great, very great. God be praised that those terrible times are gone by and that only death can separate me from you My beloved Victoria.”

“I was so happy … before.’ ‘I find that happiness can always be recollected in tranquillity, Ma’am,’ said Melbourne. Victoria put her hands down and looked up at him, her pale blue eyes searching his face. ‘You were happy too?’When Melbourne spoke, it was in the voice not of the urbane Prime Minister, but of a man of advancing years who is facing the loss of the only thing that is still capable of bringing him joy. ‘You know I was, Ma’am.”

“Victoria was, at the time, far more empathetic and forgiving, chiding Albert for his narrow view of humanity. 'I always think that one ought always to be indulgent towards other people, as I always think, if we had not been well brought up and well taken care of, we might also have gone astray.”

“One negative thought is the first step to failure.”

“Pray. Smile. Repeat.”

“A business owner who is not willing to invest in their business is a business owner who shouldn't be in business.”

“Victoria's got her secrets. Hey, so do I!”

“Don't step backward toward nothing, step forward toward something, better awkward steps forward, than coward steps backward.”

“I shall not change my course because those who assume to be better than I desire it.”

“People twenty-five and up just sat around waiting to die. That was what I'd thought.So while I was waiting to die, I looked at bras. The last thing on my mind was comfort. It seemed to be the last thing on Victoria's Secret's mind, too.”