On December 7th from 2-3:30 p.m. in the Karpeles Manuscript Library, Erika Rappaport, professor and Chair of the Department of History at UCSB and historian of British consumer culture, will explore how Queen Victoria became the first media monarch. Queen Victoria was unmatched in bringing the monarchy into the modern age, becoming the subject of intense media attention, criticism and adoration. In her reign we can see the first hints of what has become the modern role of the monarchy as cultural icon and celebrity.