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Victoria

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Victoria was queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1837–1901) and empress of India (1876–1901). Her reign was one of the longest in British history, and the Victorian Age was named for her.

Victoria’s father died when she was a baby. She was raised by her mother at Kensington Palace and had a lonely childhood until she became queen at the age of 18.

Victoria married her first cousin Albert, prince of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, on February 10, 1840.

Victoria had nine children: Victoria (1840–1901), the princess royal; Albert Edward (1841–1910), who became King Edward VII; Alice (1843–78); Alfred (1844–1900); Helena (1846–1923); Louise (1848–1939); Arthur (1850–1942); Leopold (1853–84); and Beatrice (1857–1944). Through their marriages, many of the royal families of Europe were descended from Victoria.

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Victoria, in full Alexandrina Victoria, (born May 24, 1819, Kensington Palace, London, England—died January 22, 1901, Osborne, near Cowes, Isle of Wight), queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1837–1901) and empress of India (1876–1901). She was the last of the house of Hanover and gave her name to an era, the Victorian Age. During her reign the British monarchy took on its modern ceremonial character. She and her husband, Prince Consort Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, had nine children, through whose marriages were descended many of the royal families of Europe.

Victoria first learned of her future role as a young princess during a history lesson when she was 10 years old. Almost four decades later Victoria’s governess recalled that the future queen reacted to the discovery by declaring, “I will be good.” This combination of earnestness and egotism marked Victoria as a child of the age that bears her name. The queen, however, rejected important Victorian values and developments. Although she hated pregnancy and childbirth, detested babies, and was uncomfortable in the presence of children, Victoria reigned in a society that idealized both motherhood and the family. She had no interest in social issues, yet the 19th century in Britain was an age of reform. She resisted technological change even while mechanical and technological innovations reshaped the face of European civilization.

Most significantly, Victoria was a queen determined to retain political power, yet unwillingly and unwittingly she presided over the transformation of the sovereign’s political role into a ceremonial one and thus preserved the British monarchy. When Victoria became queen, the political role of the crown was by no means clear; nor was the permanence of the throne itself. When she died and her son Edward VII moved from Marlborough House to Buckingham Palace, the change was one of social rather than of political focus; there was no doubt about the monarchy’s continuance. That was the measure of her reign.

Lineage and early life

On the death in 1817 of Princess Charlotte, daughter of the prince regent (later George IV), there was no surviving legitimate offspring of George III’s 15 children. In 1818, therefore, three of his sons, the dukes of Clarence, Kent, and Cambridge, married to provide for the succession. The winner in the race to father the next ruler of Britain was Edward, duke of Kent, fourth son of George III. His only child was christened Alexandrina Victoria. After his death and George IV’s accession in 1820, Victoria became third in the line of succession to the throne after the duke of York (died 1827) and the duke of Clarence (subsequently William IV), whose own children died in infancy.

Victoria, by her own account, “was brought up very simply,” principally at Kensington Palace, where her closest companions, other than her German-born mother, the duchess of Kent, were her half sister, Féodore, and her governess, Louise (afterward the Baroness) Lehzen, a native of Coburg. An important father figure to the orphaned princess was her uncle Leopold, her mother’s brother, who lived at Claremont, near Esher, Surrey, until he became king of the Belgians in 1831.

Victoria’s childhood was made increasingly unhappy by the machinations of the duchess of Kent’s advisor, Sir John Conroy. In control of the pliable duchess, Conroy hoped to dominate the future queen of Britain as well. Persuaded by Conroy that the royal dukes, “the wicked uncles,” posed a threat to her daughter, the duchess reared Victoria according to “the Kensington system,” by which she and Conroy systematically isolated Victoria from her contemporaries and her father’s family. Conroy thus aimed to make the princess dependent on and easily led by himself.

Victorian Era

From Georgian to Edwardian

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How was Queen Victoria’s Reign considered?

Queen Victoria Reign: The 19th Century saw a lot of changes in the British Empire. Its expansion into its colonies was unprecedented and literally created its mark on the map. During this time, Queen Victoria’s reign was considered one of the longest reigns in the history of the British Empire.

While the Queen was considered as a standing example of a woman during that age, she, along with her husband, Prince Albert supported many advances in science, politics and the economy during her reign.

There was a major expansion of the colonies into Canada, Australia, India, and parts of Africa and the Pacific. Later, she went on to become the Empress of India. It was during her reign that the phrase ‘the sun never sets on the British empire’ was coined.

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During Queen Victoria’s reign, Queen supported numerous scientific, mechanical and medical research which took the British Empir e forward and increased it world influence.

In addition to this, there were a lot of inventions and growth of major cities like Manchester, Leeds, and Birmingham. Great Britain experienced many new changes, mainly political and industrial. Factories expanded which was facilitated with the new railway lines built around the country.

Due to this, the era also came to be known as the ‘Steam Age’ and ships being build in addition to the trains and railway lines. Underground sewers were installed and there was an equal distribution of electricity throughout the empire.

How was Queen Vic toria as a Monarch?

In keeping with her image as the model woman, Victoria exercised some influence over foreign policy but kept within the boundaries of constitutional propriety. The constitutional arrangements did not allow her to oversee foreign affairs.

Queen Victoria Facts

To keep away with European politics, and to help with foreign affairs, Queen Victoria married her children to the other royal European houses. By the end of her reign, she was related either directly or by marriage to the important royal houses in Europe, with the exceptions of France and Spain.

With these changes, the British parliament too went through a major upheaval. The Tory Party split which formed the Liberals and the Conservatives and this formed a succession of opposing administrations.

Queen Victoria and Albert

Queen Victoria’s popularity was rocky during her reign over Great Britain and her colonies. She was at the height of her popularity during the period of her wedding to Prince Albert, and her popularity waned after her husband’s death when she became a social recluse for years.

However, during the end of her reign, Queen Victoria became a symbol of British Imperialism and pride. As a monarch, Queen Victoria was always supportive of her empire’s victories in wars. She was an enthusiastic supporter of Lord Kitchener’s victory in Sudan.

Queen Victoria Reign

She gave her one hundred percent support of the Britain army’s involvement in the Boer War. Queen Victoria spearheaded the expansion of the British colonies around the world. She was made the Empress of India in 1877. This move was designed by Benjamin Disraeli, one of the Queen’s most trusted advisors.

Due to numerous reasons, many attempts were made on Victoria’s life through her reign. However, this did not keep her from making public appearances. This courageous attitude made her more endearing to the public.

So, how is Queen Victoria’s Reign Considered?

As it must be clear by now, overall, her reign is still remembered for the changes it introduced in the society, the advancements it made and considered a golden era in British history.

Queen Victoria: Biography, Reign and Facts

by World History Edu · Published March 28, 2019 · Updated November 29, 2021

Queen Victoria biography | Queen Victoria’s reign as a trusted British monarch spanned over 6 decades.

Reigning from 1837 to 1901, Queen Victoria was a monumental 19th-century matriarch that ruled the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Her longevity on the British throne was as staggering as the economic and territorial expansion she oversaw. Her 63-year rule puts her second only to Queen Elizabeth II as the longest-serving monarch in British history. Although history will forever remember her as one of the most beloved monarchs of the British crown, her child-rearing skills will always stick out like a swollen thumb. Perhaps her 9 children were a tar bit more than she could handle.

The article below presents everything that you need to know about Queen Victoria, in terms of the monarch’s biography, reign, and facts:

Her Childhood and Early Life

Born as Alexandrina Victoria on May 24, 1819, this future Queen of England was the only child of the Duke and Duchess of Kent and Strathearn. Her father, Prince Edward, was the fourth son of King George III. Her mother was the beautiful German noblewoman by the name of Princess Victoria Maria Louisa of Saxe-Coburg. Unfortunately, Victoria got no chance of being raised by both parents because her father, Prince Edward, died 8 months after her birth. This meant that Victoria was raised entirely by her mother. Regardless of this, she did get a lot of help from the numerous court servants and aids, particularly from Germany. Her mother’s brother, Prince Leopold of Belgium, also played a very active role in Victoria’s upbringing. Victoria learned a great deal of politics from this maternal uncle of hers.

Victoria becomes Heiress-Apparent to the British Throne

At the time of her birth, Victoria was the fifth in line for the British throne, behind her three uncles (Prince George, the Duke of Cornwall; Prince Fredrick, the Duke of York; Prince William, the Duke of Clarence) and her father. Very few of the household or the general public gave her much attention simply because no one ever expected her to one day become queen. Well, history proved otherwise. Upon her father’s death, she became the fourth in line to the throne. And in less than 11 years since her birth, the young Victoria had moved from being a long short from ever sitting on the British throne to becoming heiress apparent to the crown. Exactly how did Victoria rise up the inheritance line to become the Queen of England?

Even though King George III (Victoria’s paternal grandfather) had three sons in line for the throne, it turns out that none of those sons produced any children. The records show that Victoria’s parents purposely got married so as to bear children for the throne. And after King George III died in 1820, her uncle became George IV. Her uncle was not so much fond of the young Victoria and her mother. The two women remained relatively isolated under George IV’s rule. Princes and governesses from her mother’s family in Germany filled this vacuum by providing the young Victoria a lot of training and financial support.

Back in England, the general public and the British politicians and ministers did not take delight to King George IV’s unusual lifestyle of drinking and partying. One could say that the king was not the most beloved of kings the country had ever seen. Misfortune also struck his house, the House of Hanover, as his brother died in 1827. His brother was the Duke of York and one of the heirs to the British throne. Three years later, in 1830, King George IV died. And because he bore no heir to the throne, his second younger brother (King William IV) took the reins of the Empire in 1830. What this meant was that young Victoria was now heiress-apparent to the throne. She started gaining the public’s attention and was even given a fixed income (as tradition demands).

King William IV, unlike his predecessor, was a much kinder person to Victoria and her mother. However, his kindness and benevolence were not always taken in good faith by Victoria’s mother. On countless occasions, Victoria and her mother refused the income and household that William IV bestowed upon them.

Bitter Feud with her Mother and Sir John Conroy

Queen Victoria’s mother (the Duchess of Kent) had a very close relationship with her private secretary, Sir John Conroy. It is believed that Conroy had so much sway over the Duchess of Kent. Both Conroy and the Duchess hatched a plan to have greater control over the heir-apparent, Princess Victoria. In the plan would be appointed a private secretary to Victoria. As a result of this plan, Victoria’s mother somewhat became an unpopular figure in the royal family as well as in the public’s eyes. The duchess and Conroy shielded the young Victoria from other members of the family. Their intention was to make Victoria rely solely on them when she eventually became Queen. She even started denying King William IV access to his niece, the young Victoria.

In spite of all the rift between King William and Victoria’s mother, young Victoria was fond of both the King and his wife (Queen Adelaide). Also, the latter very much adored her niece, Victoria. Bar for Victoria’s mother and Conroy, King William IV and the entire royal family would have had a very lovely relationship with the heiress presumptive to the British Crown, Victoria.

However, all the plans that Victoria’s mother cooked fail. King William IV survived long enough for Victoria to attain the age of 18. This meant that there was not going to be any regency government led by Victoria’s mother. And upon becoming Queen Victoria, the young queen became very resentful of her mother and Conroy. Her mother even pressured her into making her personal secretary. Eventually, Victoria saw through the plan of her mother. Conroy’s services were later terminated. And as time went on, the two women reconciled their differences. The birth of Victoria’s first child, Princess Royal Victoria, made things smooth for both Queen Victoria and her mother.

Coronation

The house of Hanover made a very savvy decision by proactively looking for an heir long before King George III died. This decision paid dividends because had Victoria’s father (who was the fourth in line) not produced a child, the house of Hanover would have seen its worst nightmare come to being the moment William IV passed away. Victoria’s last surviving and childless Uncle, William IV, sadly passed away in 1837. The heiress to the throne, Princess Victoria, was a little bit north of 18 years at the time of his passing.

Exactly a month later, Victoria no longer went by the name Princess Victoria. The young woman was now Queen Victoria, queen of all Britain and her colonies. It was an unbelievable elevation for the young Victoria. The records show that upon hearing of her uncle’s death (William IV), Victoria shut herself indoors for quite some time in order to process everything.

Marriage to Prince Albert

Social convention dictated that the Queen resides with her mother because she was still single at that time. As a result of the fall out she had had with her mother, the Queen and queen mother did not see eye to eye. To avoid any further fall out with her mother, Queen Victoria thought it was best she got married in order to completely free herself from the clutches of her mother. Her beloved maternal uncle, Prince Leopold (later King Leopold, King of the Belgians) introduced her to his cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Albert was a gentleman and very often made the Queen laugh. As a Protestant, Albert was a perfect match for the Queen.

After several visits and interactions between the young Queen and Prince Albert, Queen Victoria eventually proposed to Prince Albert on October 15, 1839. On February 10, 1840, the two got married in the Chapel Royal of St. James’ Palace, London.

Prince Albert immediately hit the ground rolling as a husband to the Queen. He became her most trusted confidante and adviser. Prince Albert and the Queen worked tirelessly to portray to the general public traditional values of family and motherhood. Albert was also a very good father to their kids. In the space of about 19 years, Queen Victoria had nine children – five daughters and four sons. The first of their kids was Victoria and the last was Beatrice. The former was born on November 21, 1840, while the latter was born on April 14, 1857. The future King Edward VII (born 9 November 1841) was the second child of Queen Victoria.

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The Queen’s parenting and child nurturing skills were tested time and time again. And in most cases, she failed miserably. She simply hated being pregnant and breastfeeding. This made her employ the services of wet nurses for her children. It would be later revealed that what the Queen had was a mild case of postnatal depression. She often shied away from being directly involved with the children. This role was perfectly carried out by her husband, Albert. As it was normal in most royal families, the children had several governesses to attend to them. Victoria’s childhood governess, Baroness Louise Lehzen of Hanover, played a huge role in the lives of her children. However, Prince Albert later terminated her services over some disagreements in her methods.

Queen Victoria’s Era – the Victorian Age

Aside from being a naturally gifted father, Albert served beside the Queen in truth and honesty. He played an influential role in preventing several political stalemates and embarrassments to Queen. He was also involved in diffusing the numerous tensions Queen Victoria had with some of her Prime Ministers. Albert’s strategy of gradually placing the Queen as an apolitical ruler was vital in building Victoria’s public reputation over the next 20 years. Also, Albert was phenomenal in maintaining a very cool head all throughout the American Civil War. His calmness was crucial in diffusing tensions when Union forces abducted a foreign diplomat of the Confederate States on their visit to Europe.

The big royal family frequented Germany and other European countries a lot. Certainly, Victoria and Albert were received very warmly by the various European monarchs. These sorts of trips often helped her to shape the kingdom’s foreign strategy. In 1857, the Queen conferred the title of Prince Consort on Albert. This was after two attempts in parliament had failed.

Queen Victoria goes into a Decade-long Mourning and Isolation

Tragedy struck when the Queen mother, Victoria, passed away on March 1861. Victoria’s mother’s death came as a huge shock to her considering the fact that their relationship got better during her marriage. She leaned strongly on her husband for comfort. Albert also stepped up by taking most of the Queen’s duties both domestic and abroad.

A few months after the Queen mother’s passing, the House of Hanover saw another scandal. The Prince of Wales, Prince Edward, was engaged in an affair with another woman in the lead up to his marriage with Alexandra of Denmark. Victoria and Albert quickly rushed in aid of their son. As usual, Albert aptly handled the situation to prevent any further public fallout. This and many more royal demands started to take a toll on the Prince Consort. On 14th of December 1861, Prince Albert died after succumbing to a cold that he caught on one of his numerous visits to his son, Prince Edward. Prior to the cold, Prince Albert had been in a fierce battle with cancer. Many historians believe that the sheer workload of his regal responsibilities was the most contributory factor to his death.

The news of her husband’s passing away turned the Queen’s life upside down. Some say, she never fully recovered from Albert’s death. She became very gloomy afterward and was always seen in black clothes. The very much active and jubilant Queen faded away and made way for a secluded and very sorrowful queen for close to a decade. The public at some point in time got impatient as the queen could not get over the death of her beloved husband. She had isolated herself so much so that the public started calling her the “widow of Windsor”. She also gained a lot of weight from taking comfort in eating. All of these further alienated her from the public.

Her lack of fondness for her children meant that she could not draw close to them in her time of emotional stress. Her children were either married off across Europe or were at best not serious like the Prince of Wales, Prince Edward. Therefore, the Queen’s only source of comfort and strength often came from her court advisers and ministers. One particular adviser of hers that filled the void left by Prince Albert was John Brown, the Queen’s manservant from Scotland.

When the queen got back to her feet (around the 1870s), she went straight into steering the affairs of the empire. She was instrumental in building strong relationships with countries abroad. However, some sections of the public criticized her for being too friendly with the Germans. Who could blame her for doing this? After all, she was in part German. She spoke fluent German. And the times she and Albert spent in Germany were one of the best in her life.

Queen Victoria’s Illness and Death

In the later years of her life, Queen Victoria was plagued by a number of illnesses. Most notable of them all was the rheumatism in her body. She gradually lost her eyesight to cataracts. She became really ill. Her second son’s (Prince Alfred) death in July 1900 was also too much for the ailing monarch. She constantly felt sad and weak. Eventually, Queen Victoria gave up the ghost and died on January 22, 1901, in the company of her eldest son, Prince Edward, and Emperor Wilhem II (her grandson). She chose white for her funeral procession. On February 4, 1901, Queen Victoria was interred beside her husband, Prince Albert, in Frogmore Mausoleum at Windsor Great Park.

Queen Victoria’s Legacy

Her longevity on the throne saw the affairs of the country grow in strength. Her era has famously been referred to as the Victorian Era. She was a huge matriarchal figure all across Europe. What she lacked in height, she made up for in a disciplined approach to managing the affairs of the royal family. One must remember that her time marked the beginning of Britain moving into a full constitutional monarchy. Therefore, Queen Victoria had very little real power over these politicians. However, her wise words and consultations are what set her apart. Her reign also saw about 11 different British Prime Ministers. She was a very affable and honest straight-talking person. Victoria always had an unflinching sense of having strong family bonds and values. She was a different type of monarch than the uncles and grandfather who reigned before her. Victoria will go down in history as the British monarch that restored British monarch’s image and reputation.

On a lighter note, it was during her era that the Christmas tree tradition became popular. During the festive season, Victoria, along with all her family, would bring pine trees into Windsor Castle and personally decorate the tree with assorted sweets and candles. And most of the Christmas carols and hymns that we enjoy today were most likely written during the Victorian Era.

Pop culture references and On-Screen portrayal of Queen Victoria

In popular and urban culture, Queen Victoria holds the record of being the most featured British monarch on television and radio. Here are three very famous depictions of Victoria:

Top 10 Facts

From the Tudors to rocks to fish, we have all the best facts right here!

Top 10 Facts About Queen Victoria

Do you want to learn about Queen Victoria? Check out these top 10 facts.

1. How long did Victoria reign for?

Queen Victoria was the Queen of England between 1837 and 1901.

Behind our Queen, Queen Elizabeth II, she is the second longest reigning monarch of the United Kingdom.

She reigned for 64 years.

2. Queen Victoria was born in London.

She was born at Kensington Palace, London, in 1819.

More to click.

3. German was Queen Victoria’s first language.

Queen Victoria’s Mother was from Germany and her Father was from England.

She spoke German until she was age 3, and then started to learn English!

In fact, she was brilliant at languages and also knew how to speak French, Italian, Latin and Hindustani.

4. Queen Victoria was only 18 when she became Queen!

Queen Victoria became the Queen when she was only 18 years old. This was in 1837!

She then had her coronation in Westminster Abbey in June 1838.

This is when the formal ceremony of placing the crown on the monarch’s head takes place.

5. Victoria had a big family.

Queen Victoria had a very big family.

She had 9 children in total. They were:

Princess Victoria Adelaide Mary Louise (1840-1901)
Prince Albert Edward Wettin (1841-1910)
Princess Alice Maude Mary (1843-1878)
Prince Alfred Ernest Albert (1844-1900)
Princess Helena Augusta Victoria (1846-1923)
Princess Louise Caroline Alberta (1848-1939)
Prince Arthur William Patrick (1850-1942)
Prince Leopold George Duncan (1853-1884)
Princess Beatrice Mary Victoria (1857-1944)

She also had 42 grandchildren!

That’s a lot of birthdays to remember…

6. Did the Queen have any hobbies?

Yes! She had lots of hobbies.

Queen Victoria loved to paint and draw.

She also loved going to the opera and singing!

7. The Queen wore black from 1861.

Sadly the Queen’s husband, Prince Albert, died in 1861.

Victoria mourned him for the rest of her life.

She wore black ever since that day.

8. Victoria didn’t just rule over the United Kingdom.

During her reign, the British Empire included Australia, South Africa, India, New Zealand and Canada.

She ruled over these countries too!

9. The Victorian age was named after Queen Victoria.

If you have ever wondered why the Victorian age is called the Victorian age, it’s because of Queen Victoria!

This is the time period of when she ruled.

10. Queen Victoria died in January 1901.

Queen Victoria is now buried in Windsor, at the Frogmore Mausoleum.

CC: Queen Victoria by Alexander Bassano (NPG x13844 © National Portrait Gallery, London)

When was Queen Victoria born? How long was her reign?

QUEEN VICTORIA was one of Britain’s longest-reigning monarchs. So when was Queen Victoria born and how long was her reign?

Prince Philip ‘cancelled’ Queen Victoria tradition says Jobson

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The current Queen Elizabeth II is the great-great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, one of the most famous monarchs in British royal history. Read on to find out more about the reign of Queen Victoria and why her accession to the throne was so unlikely.

Related articles

When was Queen Victoria born?

Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent was born in Kensington Palace on May 24, 1819.

The only daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, Princess Alexandrina would later ascend the throne as Queen Victoria.

Queen Victoria was never expected to be Queen as her father, Prince Edward, was the fourth son of King George III.

All of Prince Edward’s older brothers died without a surviving heir, resulting in Victoria taking the throne.

When was Queen Victoria born? How long was her reign? (Image: GETTY)

Queen Victoria reigned for almost 64 years (Image: GETTY)

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When did Queen Victoria get married?

Queen Victoria married her first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, in 1840.

The couple subsequently had nine children: Princess Victoria, Prince Albert, Princess Alice, Prince Alfred, Princess Helena, Princess Louise, Prince Arthur, Prince Leopold and Princess Beatrice.

Although Albert would die at the age of 42 in 1861, Queen Victoria later became a grandmother to 42 royal children.

Queen Victoria’s funeral in 1901 (Image: GETTY)

How long was Queen Victoria’s reign?

Queen Victoria ascended the throne on June 20, 1837 following the death of her uncle King William IV.

Queen Victoria was only 18 years old at the start of her reign.

Victoria died at the age of 81 in 1901, after almost 64 years on the throne.

Royal Family tree (Image: EXPRESS)

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At the time of her death, Queen Victoria was Britain’s longest-serving monarch.

This record was surpassed by Queen Elizabeth II in 2015, who next year will celebrate her Platinum Jubilee.

The death of Queen Victoria in 1901 marked the end of the royal house of Hanover’s tenure on the British throne.

The royal house of Queen Victoria’s husband was Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, so Victoria and Albert’s son ascended the throne as Edward VII, the first British monarch of the house of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

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Saxe-Coburg and Gotha remained the name of the royal house until the reign of King George V.

In 1917, King George V decided to change the name of the royal house in response to anti-German sentiment in Britain during World War 1.

The king subsequently decided to change the name of the royal house to Windsor, after the royal castle in Berkshire.