OF ALL the love stories that have defined the British monarchy, none tugs the heartstrings quite like Victoria and Prince Albert.

The Young Victoria traces the romance from the initial sparks of attraction to marriage, revealing the private frustrations of the young queen as she attempts to walk a minefield of political intrigue and stringent social etiquette.

“Some palaces are not at all what you think. Some palaces can be prisons,” rues Victoria (Emily Blunt) in voiceover as she steps into the glare of the 1838 coronation.

Jean-Marc Vallee’s film then rewinds one year with the princess at the mercy of her mother, the Duchess of Kent (Miranda Richardson), and scheming advisor Sir John Conroy (Mark Strong), who won’t allow her to descend a flight of stairs unaccompanied for fear she might tumble.

Everyone, it seems, wants to manipulate Victoria for their own ends, all apart from Albert (Rupert Friend), who defies protocol to assist the princess in outwitting the schemers.

The Young Victoria has a similar look and feel to The Duchess, boasting gorgeous sets and costumes and a haunting orchestral score courtesy of Ilan Eshkeri.

The pomp and pagean-try tend to obscure the emotion in Julian Fellowes’ script, despite the best efforts of Blunt and Friend to stoke the flames of their characters’ mutual admiration and attraction.

Showing at: Empire, ABC