Jenna Coleman and Tom Hughes will return for a third series of royal drama Victoria, ITV has confirmed.

The new episodes will begin in 1848 when uncertainty surrounded the monarchy, creator Daisy Goodwin has said.

The first two series of the show have documented the ascension to the throne by Queen Victoria, played by Coleman, and her romance with Prince Albert, played by Hughes, as well as her struggles with postnatal depression and leadership.

Victoria
Jenna Coleman as Victoria with Tom Hughes as Albert (ITV)

It will return for a feature-length Christmas special, entitled Comfort And Joy, later this month.

Goodwin said: “Series three will start in 1848 which was a hugely
dramatic and eventful time for both the royal family and Europe, with revolutions on the continent and uncertainty around the monarchy.

“Viewers can expect more drama than ever before in the third series.”

Polly Hill, head of drama at ITV, added: “We’re delighted that the nation has taken Victoria to its hearts.

“Filled with romance, political crises and family drama, Daisy Goodwin’s scripts bring this fascinating part of history to life so vividly and we look forward to regaling audiences with the next part of the illustrious Queen’s reign.”

Damien Timmer, the managing director of production company Mammoth Screen, added: “Jenna Coleman and Tom Hughes shine as Victoria and Albert and it’s an honour to have them back for a third series, which covers a tumultuous period in our country’s history, filled to the brim with royal scandals, political skirmishes and constitutional crises, as new historical figures enter the saga to challenge Victoria and Albert as never before.”