The Dawning of a New Age - Queen Victoria

The Dawning of a new age- Queen Victoria

The Early Life of Queen Victoria Queen Victoria, the well-known Queen of England did not start out as some would expect. Her Grandfather, King George the third of England had fifteen children, his third child was The Duke of Kent, Queen Victoria's father. The Duke of Kent married Princess Victoria of Saxe- Coburg- Gotha. Later they had a baby girl together on May twenty- fourth eighteen- nineteen. They christened her as Alexandrina Victoria. Her childhood was not a happy one. She did not have a lot of money and did not have many children her age to play with. Since she was heir to the throne she had a strict education. She was extremely smart and was excellent at languages, yet she had trouble with Latin, and she appreciated history. She enjoyed music and she liked to draw. When she was taught to dance it helped develop her natural poise, which she is most known for. Deportment was important for queens. Her mother would tie a sprig of prickly holly under Victoria's chin to make her hold her head up,' a severe but effective measure (Grant 5). She was supervised persistently, up until she was queen she slept in her mother's bedroom. Victoria's governess and mother would sit in the schoolroom with her throughout her lessons and she was not even permitted to go down stairs without someone holding her hand in case she was to fall. She did not even know she was heir to the throne until she was eleven when she opened her history book and found a new piece of paper positioned in there of the English royalty and she saw that she was in line for the throne. 'She looked up at her

smiling teacher and raised her right hand I will be good, she said solemnly, and burst into tears' (Grant 6). Victoria's mother's steward, sir John Conroy, spread some gossip about Victoria that was untrue. He was a very cunning man and would be the villain in Victoria's childhood. He had charm that pulled the wool over many people's eyes but behind this charm concealed a greed for money and power. His charm seduced Victoria's mother and people thought him her lover. He secretly took her mother's money. By then Victoria was third in line to the throne after her uncles George the fourth and William the fourth. Conroy believed these two men would die before Victoria was of age, which meant her mother would be regent. So Conroy believed he would be in power behind the throne. In eighteen-thirty two Conroy organized many tours through out England, he thought it a good plan for Victoria the lands that she would rule one day and for the people to see something of her. The central reason for these trips was to increase the popularity for Victoria. King William was enraged that at the idea of his heir winning over his subjects. On these trips Victoria kept a real thorough diary which later helped historians out. One of Victoria's favorite uncles was Uncle Leopold who was a father figure for Victoria. He would talk to her about her responsibilities and told her on no account to trust anyone unless you are certain of him and never respond to a question until you have thought it over. After her uncle had left Victoria caught a

fever and while weakened Conroy tried to take advantage of her. He told her she needed a private secretary and that he would do it. Victoria, too weak to speak, was able to shake her head no. Conroy still tried to urge her and told her all she had to do was sign a piece of paper. She still refused him. He then gave up. On her seventeenth birthday her Uncle Leopold sent over two of her cousins, Albert of Saxe- Cobug- Gotha and his older brother Ernest. Her uncle was hoping to arrange a marriage between Albert and Victoria. She was happy with them both and thought Albert was very handsome. A year later Victoria celebrated her eighteenth birthday, which was a happy one knowing that Conroy could not have any power behind the throne. King William the fourth, who was trying to live long enough to make sure Victoria was of age, started to slowly die. Conroy, seeing him dieing, tried to still force Victoria to agree to his plans and threatened to lock her up until she would agree, but Victoria's mother would not let that happen and thought it barbaric. On June twentieth eighteen- thirty-seven King William died. The archbishop and lord chamberlain rode through the night to Victoria's house in Kensington and got there in the middle of the night. When Victoria's mother awoke her Victoria went down stairs in her bathrobe and the lord of chamberlain knelt and kissed the hand of the Queen of England. The Dawning of a New Age

Thursday, the twenty-eighth of June, in the year 1838 was the official date fixed for the coronation of the soon-to-be Sovereign of England. The procession, scheduled at 10 A.M., began on time and Princess Alexdrina Victoria would be crowned Queen of the British Empire at the young age of nineteen. Who would have foreseen the peace and prosperity that was yet to come during the reign of Queen Victoria?

About two years prior to her becoming queen, Victoria met a young prince by the name of Albert. He was prince of the Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld's in Germany and also Victoria's cousin. She was thoroughly impressed by him and as they kept in touch over the years, they became fond of each other. On October fifteenth, eighteen hundred thirty eight, Victoria proposed marriage to him and he accepted. In those times men were not allowed to propose marriage to a princess and the future spouse had to be of royal blood. Prince Albert and Queen Victoria were married on February tenth, eighteen hundred forty at the Chapel Royal. 'Dr. John Bird Summer, the Archbishop of Canterbury, conducted the service.' (Hough 152).

Approximately four months after their wedlock Albert and Victoria were the target of the first of six assassination attempts.

Queen Victoria was a demanding and sometimes formidable ruler toward her people, but she still loved them. Even greater was her love for Prince Albert. He was everything to her sometimes the only one she would listen to. Because of this deep love for and devotion to him, Prince Albert increasingly influenced her mentally and politically.

Victoria and Albert began their family 'three weeks earlier than expected' (Hough 77) with the birth of their first child 'early on Saturday morning, 21 of November 1840' (Hough 77). The baby was known as Pussy, but was christened Victoria Adelaide Mary Louise. Eventually she became known as Vicky and shed that rather odd nickname. They would later birth eight more legitimate children. Their names are in order by birth, Albert Edward (1841-1910), Alice (1843-1878), Alfred (1844-1900),