Following a strong display in the Sunday evening ratings, ITV’s historical drama ‘Victoria’, which stars Jenna Coleman as Queen Victoria, has been given the green light for a second series next year.

30 year old Coleman, who plays the young monarch, and co-star Tom Hughes, who portrays her husband Prince Albert, will both return to their roles, with writer and executive producer Daisy Goodwin also retaining her position.

Jenna ColemanJenna Coleman will be getting another season as Queen Victoria on ITV

‘Victoria’ has consistently outperformed BBC One’s ‘Poldark’, formerly regarded as an invincible ratings winner because of Aidan Turner’s topless scenes, since it premiered back on August 28th. ITV said, while confirming the news of the renewal, that last Sunday’s episode had pulled in an average of 7.7 million viewers (accounting for catch-up views), which is half a million more than ‘Poldark’.

Furthermore, rumours have it that Coleman and Hughes may have struck up a romance off-screen as well as on it. On Tuesday, they were seen out and about together, and over the weekend were reportedly spotted together in an exclusive members-only club.

More: Are ‘Victoria’ co-stars Jenna Coleman and Tom Hughes secretly dating?

ITV’s director of television Kevin Lygo, in a statement confirming the go-ahead, said: “Mammoth and Daisy Goodwin have brought the characters so vividly to life in this series, and we’re thrilled with the reception for ‘Victoria’. We’re pleased to be able to confirm that Jenna Coleman and Tom Hughes will return to continue the story on ITV.”

Goodwin, who wrote the book upon which the series is based, added: “Even though she reigned in the 19th century, Victoria is a heroine for our times. In the next series she faces the very modern dilemma of how to juggle children with her husband and her job. As Victoria will discover, it’s hard to be a wife, a mother and ruler of the most powerful nation on earth!”

More: ‘Poldark’ edged out by ‘Victoria’ in the Sunday night ratings war