Queen Victoria: personality as a reflection of the era

 

The reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901), or the Victorian era, was a period of comprehensive development and colonial power in the British Empire.

The royal family: a model for England

 The most potent lady on the planet in the 19th century, by and large, ruled for more than sixty years. She was the granddaughter of the morally unhealthy king George III and had little chance of taking the throne. But still, it was Victoria who became queen by the will of fate: she bypassed all the legitimate heirs (of which there were 15) of the monarch of the British Empire.

The future Queen Victoria was born on May 24, 1819, at Kensington Palace in London in the family of the youngest son of King George III, the Duke of Kent, and Edward Augustus “Plump as a partridge”, “a real combination of beauty and strength” - this is how the father characterized his newborn daughter. For 18 years, the heir to the throne had learned to limit her emotions and childish desires, comprehended rationality, and brought up a sense of duty in herself. Victoria's childhood was modest: her father died early enough and didn't leave the family a large fortune.

Victoria as a child

She often believed that she knew the difficult life of the people firsthand because in her childhood she happened to go through poverty. However, it was said out loud. A minimum of entertainment, a small staff of servants, and transitions to a lenten menu were the hardships of young Victoria. The severity of the upbringing of the future Queen was guaranteed by her mother, the Duchess of Kent, Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. The control over the daughter was so severe that the girl seemed obviously older than her years. She was not allowed to be alone and prohibited to play with her peers. For her, the duty to the crowned family was always number one.

His inflexible character was tempered precisely in childhood. The holly thorns sewn into the dress near the chin prevented Victoria from lowering her head. The will of the heir to the throne made her image among the people an example to follow for the whole English nation.

 However, the people of England were superstitious. The Archbishop of Canterbury put Victoria's coronation ring on the wrong finger, and the chief treasurer has strewn all the gold and silver medals on the floor. And during the oath on June 20, 1837, Lord Roll, a clumsy and obese man, stumbled on the way to the royal chair and rolled head over heels down.

Yes, and the bishop himself made a mistake during the ceremony: he turned over two pages of the prayer book and completed the ceremony earlier than expected. And the royal insignia was handed out to the queen so quickly that she almost dropped them.

Wedding of Victoria and Albert.

Victoria went down the aisle with her cousin Albert of Saxe Coburg and Gotha. Her family life did not go well: Victoria Madly adored her husband, but Albert could not get used to his status. He always followed half a step behind his wife and could dance with her at the balls no more than three times. Albert was distressed by the uncertainty of his position at the court But after a major quarrel with his wife, all issues have been resolved. This was evidenced by the birth of a few of nine children. Diary entries also discussed the turbulent sexual life of the spouses. Victoria just hated being on demolitions.

The Royal Family.

Albert never became king and only held the title of Prince Consort (Prince Husband). But in personal relationships for Victoria, her husband was both an adviser, an assistant, a manager, and an organizer. In difficult times, he always lent it to his shoulder.

 After the death of her beloved husband, Victoria wore mourning till the end of her days. Also, her employees were required to wear black clothes. At the court of the queen, smiles were forbidden. The maids, until Victoria's death, on her orders, changed the towels in her late husband's room, took out the chamber pot, and prepared the prince's wardrobe for each day. At court, there was an unspoken cult of Albert's memory: the queen erected monuments and busts of her dead husband everywhere. Victoria bestowed the title of the knight on those patrons who have erected monuments in his honor.

Portrait of Queen Victoria 1899.

The nineteenth century for Britain was the time of the establishment of the cult of the family in the country. Victoria, in fact, has become the “grandmother of the European continent”: her descendants occupied the thrones of many European powers.

The Victorian era: rapid progress under the guise of mourning

 It is important to note that on the whole, the 19th century awakened dormant humanity A flurry of new ideas, projects, discoveries, and inventions has changed life, not only in Britain but throughout the world. The Queen is witnessing these decisive changes in public life and everyday life. The subway, sewing machine, X-ray, chocolate, post office, and many other innovations have become the property of the Victorian era.

Kensington Palace.

The British monarchy could rightfully be considered the most powerful in the world. A vast empire with many colonies had a special form of government, a parliamentary monarchy. The role of the prime minister has been increased: from the “first among equals,” he has turned into a figure whose powers were not limited by much. The British Empire, in spite of all the cataclysms of the era in the form of revolutions and wars, remained a bulwark of stability. It can be said that the true character of the queen is reflected in the spirit of her fatherland in this era.

Victorian servant.

The death of the queen's beloved husband in 1861 was in many ways a turning point in the life of the country Victoria paid less time and attention to public administration issues. But she still signed the royal papers and made speeches to her subjects. Duty to England was for her above everything. For a long time, she has lived in Scotland, in her beloved city of Baltimore. A well-functioning state apparatus allowed her such departures: only sometimes did she come to London and admire the achievements of her country.

 She died on January 22, 1901. Queen Victoria left a will that best described her personality. Before her death, she asked that her husband's nightgown, favorite jewelry, an engagement ring, and photographs with Albert be put into the grave. In the left hand of the Queen, according to the will, they put a photograph of her humble servant John Brown and a lock of his hair.

The death of Queen Victoria was considered by contemporaries as the tragic finale of the entire 19th century. It was the end of the most brilliant and the most stable.