BY
4L
Queen Victoria was born on May 24 (1819) in Kensington Place, London.Victoria
was the daughter of Victoria Mary Louise, daughter of the Duke of
Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld,and Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent, the fourth son of
George III.Victoria ascended the throne on June 20, (1837), after the death of
her uncle,William IV,who had no legitimate children. At this stage she was an
unknown figure, even by name, to most of her subjects. In January 22, (1901) Queen
Victoria died, outliving the century, she was one of the best –known figures, by
reputation as well as name, not only in the United Kingdom but also in a
greatly expanded British Empire and in the world, including the United States.
Victoria’s reign had been the longest in British history, and she had given her
name to an age-the age of Victorian Britain.
“I shall ever remember this day as the proudest of my life!”wrote
the 19-year-old Oueen Victoria. In Victoria’s
journal on the day of her coronation, June 28, 1838. To the spectators
in the abbey with memories of her aged uncles, the eccentric William IV and the
dissolute George IV, the radiant young Oueen must have made a nice change. They
were witnessing the beginning of a new era. During Victoria’s reign, Britian reached the peck of its power,
and came to rule a quarter of the world’s people. The image of Queen Victoria
evokes that of a dour, stout old lady who was “not amused.” but she really
often enjoyed a joke. Early in her reign the Prime Minister, Lord Melboune,
gave Victoria fatherly guidance and reassurance. Having lost her own father in
infancy, Victoria appreciated his advice. Under Melbourne’s tutelage the Queen
became an ardent Whig. Later, under the influence of Benjamin Disraeli, she
would be a no less ardent Tory.
In February 10, 1840 , Queen Victoria married her first
cousin Albert, Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Albert had been given more guidance
by his tutors, not all of it sound, about the role he should play as her
husband. Baroness Lehen, was the first
to tell her (at the age of 11) that she was Heiress Presumptive to the throne.
Her father Edward Augustus, Duke of
Kent, youngest brother of William IV, had died in 1820, when Victoria was a
little infant, and Victoria’s German
mother Victoria Mary Loauis had proved an ill-informed and difficult parent.
Later in life, Victoria was to repeat many times that she was never happy until
her Beloved Albert gave her
exceptional happiness at the age of 18.
In December 14, 1861 Albert Prince of Saxe died.The marriage, while an affair of
state, was a love edmatch, and he royal couple were seldom apart. They offered aen example of family life that
contrasted sharply with the earlier royal images of George IV and his
brother.Victoria and Albert had nine children ; the first of them ,Victoria,
future German Empress, born on November 21,1840, the second, the future Edward
VII, Edward was born on November 9,
1841. They had limitations as parents, but their intentions were beyond
reproach and they enjoyed their private lives, particlarly at Osborne House on
the Isle of Wight, purchased in 1843, and Balmoral Castle in Scotland, acquired
in 1852 and rebuilt on the basis of Albert’s designs.”God knows”, the Queen had
written as early as 1844,”how willingly I would always live with my beloved
Albert and our children in the quiet retirement of private life, and not be the
constant subject of observation.”An aristocratic German visitor to Bolmoral 11
years later, Helmuth Karl von Moltke, told his wife,”It is hard to belive that
the most powerful monarch in the world can leave all court life so much
behind.It is just plain family life here.”
Queen Victoria’s constitutional power was always limited, and while
her personal likes and dislikes influenced the selection of the Cabinet and her
views on political issues were forthright and shrewd, she never determined
policy. Albert, who was always at her side whatever issues, particularly
foreign policy, were being descussed, used his influence to persuade Victoria
to accept his version of what a constitional monarch should be.They both
disliked Lord Palmerston and his policies, but they could never undermine his
political leadership.
SHORT QUESTION
QUESTION 1
HOW THE ESSAY WAS
WRITTEN
In the first week in January when I came to school I went to History
class and my teacher told my class that this essay would mean 20% off our
Leaving Cert.For a week I had to think of a topic and after a week I tought of
a topic to write on which was on QUEEN VICTORIA and when I went to school I
went down to the library and got a book which was called FAMOUS PEOPLE and also went on the Internet and got
information from.
QUESTION 2
BIBLIOGRAPHY
QUESTION 3
SKILLS
I learned the following skills while doing the essay.
1. How to find books in the library.
2. How to use the Internet to find information.
3. How to use Microsoft Word.
QUESTION 4 REVIEW OF A
SOURCE
QUEEN
VICTORIA(HARVEST - BOOK)
BY LYTTON
STRACHEY PUBLISHED IN DECEMBER, 2002 BY HARVEST BOOKS
This illustrated edition of Lytton Strachey’s biography of Queen
Victoria has been published to coincide with the 150TH anniversary
of her accession to the throne.The author shows obvious admiration and
affection for Queen Victoria and this together with the use of archive
material, in particular from the Royal archives at windsor, helps to evoke the
atmosphere of the period.The illustrations include
advertisements,ephemera,drawings and watercolours-some by Queen Victoria
herself
Lytton Strachey’s”Queen Victoria” is the classical biography on Britain’s longest reigning monarch. You have to start here. The book is superbly written,information, with passion and inside and understanding. You will find a great personality, a real character, often not as nice as you” remember her to be”, a woman of strong will , a young and lively young woman, a not too attached mother, a devoted and loving wife , a woman with a lot of doubts about her abilities and character but a fighter and a proud one , a grieving widow and shrewd and able politician. Queen Victoria was so much more than people believe her to be. After having read this book you understand why a whole period was named after her.