The Queen Victoria

The Queen Victoria Public House ' ', known as the Queen Vic, is the local pub in Albert Square which has been the centre of drama from the past 30 years. It is the only pub for the next 5 miles. The Queen Vic is currently owned and run by Mick, Linda and Shirley Carter, and the flat above is occupied by the Carter Family.

During the early years of the show, the Queen Vic had a partition wall down the middle of the bar, which separated it into two sections. The smaller section, known as the 'snug', housed a dart board and fruit machines, whilst the larger section, known as the saloon bar, was used primarily as the customer seating area. Den Watts, who was the landlord at the time got permission from the brewery that owned The Queen Vic to remove the partition in October 1985, and hired Tony Carpenter to do the job.

In reality, the pub exterior shell on the outdoor permanent set was built between 1984 and 1985. The exterior shell was made to look as though it had stood for a hundred years. The internal sets are in a studio separate from the building situated in the Square.

History
The Queen Victoria was built in 1880's and originally had two bars the public and the saloon. In 1985 publican Den Watts decided to dismantle the partitions between the two bars, so it became one.During the early years of EastEnders the pub was owned by the brewery Luxford & Copley who then rented it out to the Watts family.

Den and Angie Watts took control of the Vic in 1975, In 1986 after Den divorced Angie on Christmas Day, Den's mistress Jan becomes the landlady for a few months, before Den splits up with her. Meanwhile Angie begins running the new rival pub in the Square named ' The Dagmar', owned by James Willmott-Brown. On New Year's Eve 1987, at the party in The Vic, Angie demands that she runs The Vic again with Den. In 1988, Angie leaves The Vic and Walford for Spain after telling Den that they will both run a new pub together. Den, falling for her plan, signs the lease of the pub over to Frank Butcher and his barmaid Pat Wicks. After Den finds out Angie's plan, it is to late for him to keep The Vic. Den goes on to run Strokes wine bar, which is a front for a criminal gang called 'The Firm". His involvement with the gang led to his (fake) death in 1989.

Pat and Frank gave up The Vic in 1990 to run the B&B. This was because Janine was young and Frank and Pat found it hard to look after Janine and run the pub. Den and Angie's daughter Sharon Watts and Simon Wicks managed the pub until the brewery found a new landlord. The brewery found Eddie Royle, who was an ex-policeman. However, this was short-lived as Eddie was stabbed in the Albert Square Gardens by Nick Cotton.

After Eddie's death, the brewery Decide to sell The Vic off. Sharon Watts (Den and Angie's Daughter) and partner Grant Mitchell and brother Phil Mitchell, buy the pub off the Brewery. Sharon's name is put above the door, due to Phil and Grant having criminal records. In 1993, Phil decides to sell his share of The Vic to Sharon and Grant, who are married by this time.

In 1994, after Sharon's affair with Phil Mitchell, Grant forces Sharon out of The Vic on Christmas Day. Sharon returns in 1995 and even though it breaks her heart she signs the deeds to The Queen Vic over to Peggy Mitchell, making her the new landlady.

Peggy and Grant own the Vic until 1996, when Peggy and Frank Butcher get together and marry. Grant decides to give his 50% share of The Vic to his brother Phil, who sells his share to Dan Sullivan for £5.00. With Dan as the new landlord he starts making Peggy and Frank's lives hell and in a game of cards Phil tricks Dan in to signing an amendment to the deeds signing his share over to Peggy and Frank making them the sole owners.

In 1999, Peggy and Frank split up after his affair with his ex-wife, Pat Evans. Frank leaves the square shortly after leaving Peggy in serious debt with The Vic. This leads to Peggy selling The Vic unknowingly in 2001 to Sharon Watts. Sharon and her ex-brother-in-law Phil Mitchell get back together and Phil buys Steve Owen's share of The Vic .In 2002, After Angie Watts dies in Spain, Sharon decides to make a new start without The Vic, and sells her share to Phil. Sharon then buys the E20 nightclub from Beppe di Marco, and renames it Angie's Den, after both her parents.

Peggy once again becomes landlady of The Vic and runs the pub for Phil until she decides to leave and live with Grant, leaving Bar Manager Alfie Moon to run the pub. When Phil is accused of armed robbery, he signs all of his business interests over to his sister Sam Mitchell, including the pub. In 2004, Sam gets conned out of The Vic by ex-landlord Den Watts after his return from the dead.

On Christmas Eve 2004, Den Watts take over the pub, and the new Watts family, (Den, Sharon, Vicki, Dennis and Den's new wife, Chrissie) move in The Vic.

In February 2005, Den is killed by wife Chrissie Watts and is buried under concrete in the cellar of the pub. Chrissie forges Den's signature on The Vic's deed of transfer, and takes over control of The Vic. In July 2005, Chrissie is caught and exposed as Den's murderer, and is arrested. The Queen Vic is therefore left to Sharon Rickman/ Watts. Sharon decides to sell the pub to the Mitchells with Peggy once again for a third time becoming landlady.

In 2009, Christmas Eve, Peggy's estranged husband Archie Mitchell and his new fiancee Janine Butcher take over The Vic. Later on Christmas Day, Archie throws out Janine, and is later killed by Stacey Branning by the famous Queen Vic Bust. In Archie's will, he leaves The Vic to daughter Roxy Mitchell making her the newest landlady.

Roxy is in charge of The Vic until September 2010 when she admits that she can't run The Vic properly, so signs the pub back to Peggy, making her the owner of the Vic for the second time, and landlady for a fourth time.



In 2010, after Phil Mitchell sets fire to The Vic in a drug fuelled rage, Peggy heartbroken at the burnt out wreckage of her beloved pub and seeing the damage she has caused to Phil leaves and a short while later signs The Vic over to Phil. With no interest in running The Vic himself, Phil decides to rent The Vic to ex-bar manager Alfie Moon and his wife Kat making them the new landlord and landlady as well as the licensees.

After Kat has an affair with Derek Branning in 2012, she leaves the pub, leaving Alfie in charge until he gets with ex landlady 'Roxy Mitchell' who becomes the new Landlady until November 2013. Alfie and his new wife Roxy split up and Alfie goes back to ex-wife Kat. However, this is short lived as Phill announces that he is selling the Vic.

On Christmas Day 2013, Phil is due to sell The Vic to ex- landlady (for one day) Janine Butcher. After she is arrested for murder, the pub is sold to Mick and Linda Carter, the brother and sister-in-law of Shirley Carter.



n 2014 when Mick and Linda discover a damp problem in the cellar which Phil never told them about when he sold them The Vic resort to getting a loan from Mick's estranged grandfather Stan Carter for the repairs to The Vic's cellar. Stan's condition for giving them the loan is they have to sign a share of The Vic over to his daughter and Mick's secret mother Shirley making her co-landlady and co-licensee along with Mick and Linda.

Landlords and Landladies
For past and present landlords and landladies of The Queen Victoria, see Landlord and Landladies

Deaths
There has been 3 deaths within the premises. There has also been 3 deaths right outside of the premises.