Queen Victoria the Sovereign

Dr. Anita Fisher

History 253

                   Queen Victoria the Sovereign

        Dear Diary, (and whoever else who may be reading) my name is Alexandria Victoria. My father

was the Duke of Kent, who died shortly after I was born, and my mother was the former Princess

Victoria of Saxecoburg-Saalfeld. My Uncles George IV, Frederick Duke of York, and William IV, on my

father’s side, had no legitimate children who survived.1 I was born at Kensington Palace on May 24,

1819 and it was a joyous affair; an heir was born.

           As a child I was very guarded, maybe too guarded. Sir John Convoy tried to use his relationship

with my mother to rise in political power with me for that reason I did not like him. My mother and I

shared a room until I became Queen. I was twelve years old when I learned I would take the throne. ‘I

will be good’.2 A good queen to my people, but I also really wished Queen Adelaide, the wife of William

IV, would have a child so it would not fall on me.3

           Some of my few pleasures were drawing, painting, keeping a diary to house my most guarded

secrets, and playing with my beloved dog Dash. At the age of eighteen years old, my Uncle, William IV,

died and I became Queen on June 20, 1837. As Queen I was free to do what I wanted, go where I

pleased, but I soon learned that with this freedom came with its own consequences. I banished Sir John

Convoy from my court because he tried to get me to sign a document that would give him my power of

Sovereign.

            Uncle Leopold, King of the Belgians, wanted me to marry, but I wanted to marry for love as well

as duty.4 I was not ready to be controlled again. However, I did fall in love and with the very man my

uncle wished me to marry, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Saafeld, my mother’s nephew. This was an

event arranged by my mother and, her brother, Uncle Leopold when I was born.5 But it was not what he

had hoped for.

1
    Victoria (r.1837-1901). The Official Website of The British Monarchy. 2008-2009.
2
 Booth, Alison. Queen Victoria The Collective Biographies of Women: Biographies.
3
  Victoria (r.1837-1901). The Official Website of The British Monarchy. 2008-2009.
4
  Carroll, Leslie. The Royals: The Lives and Loves of the British Monarchs. New York. Metro Books. 2011.
5
    Carroll, Leslie. The Royals: The Lives and Loves of the British Monarchs. New York. Metro Books. 2011.

Albert would never wish to control me. We were married February 10, 1840 the same year I lost

my dear Dash. It must have been hard for Albert at the start of our marriage when the “roles of the

natural order” were reversed. I was Queen and he my regent and he was my husband but I was in

charge. It was also difficult for me too. So we made it fit us. Albert and I ruled together and he was my

most trusted adviser. With the birth of our first child, Victoria, I gave him full power as regent in 1840.6 I

remember saying this while pregnant that I am sure no women would marry if she knew all that was

involved, but that it was something that I will never regret.7

        Albert and I had eight more children over the span of our marriage; Edward VII (1841), Alice

(1843), Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and of Saze-Coburg and Gotha (1844), Helena (1846), Louise (1848),

Arthur, Duke of Connaught (1850), Leopold, Duke of Albany (1853), and Beatrice (1857): most of my

children married into royal families of Europe.8

        It was a very dark day when my beloved husband died suddenly from typhoid at the age of

merely 42 on the 14th of December, 1861. Looking back I think that I could not get over his death

because it happened so suddenly and I had no time to prepare for such an event. I will never forget it

and with his death my life changed forever. From that day on I wore black. For three years I stayed

within the walls of my home and did not venture out much. It was extremely hard to keep up my royal

duties. My daughter, Princess Alice, suggested in 1864 that I have a servant named John Brown come to

the castle to lead my pony because he could always make me smile. Since then he became ‘indefatigable

in his attendance and care’ of me.9

6
  Carroll, Leslie. The Royals: The Lives and Loves of the British Monarchs. New York. Metro Books. 2011.
7
  Pettinger, Tejvan R. Queen Victoria Quotes. Biography Online.
8
  Victoria (r.1837-1901). The Official Website of The British Monarchy. 2008-2009.
9
 Lamont-Brown, Raymond. Queen Victoria’s ‘Secret Marriage’. Contemporary Review. Vol. 283 Issue 1655, 349-
352.

Many have speculated that I had a ‘secret marriage’ to John Brown, because I allowed him to

mistreat me in public,10 but believe me I reprimanded him in private. It is quite a silly thought; I simply

thought he deserved respect. He was fun, different from any man in my court. He allowed me accept the

death of my husband and to move on enough to be tolerably happy again, which allowed me to take

care of my kingdom. For that I gave him all the respect and gratitude he deserved. There was also a

rumor that I gave birth to his child in 1868 in Switzerland while on vacation.11 The idea was out of the

question for I was still too much in love with my husband at the time. However, I must add that even if I

did have a sexual relationship with John Brown it really does not matter for I am the Sovereign of my

kingdom and male rulers have done the same for centuries. John died March 29, 1883.

            These rumors spread when I said ‘I felt as if I had lost Albert again.’ I mirrored John’s funeral

arraignments with that of Albert’s. During the anniversary to mark the passing of Albert in December of

1883 I included John’s name in the prayer of Remembrance at the service. I also had a plaque erected in

the hallowed Royal Mausoleum at Frogmore, I had built for Albert and I.12 I admit that my actions may

have been inappropriate to some. I was merely saying goodbye to a very dear friend.

            By 1876, my power was diminished with the second Act of Reform and the introduction of the

private ballot in 1872.13 I was the monarch when photography was invented and the first reigning

monarch to use a train14. I had my own private car for when I traveled. I was made Empress of India in

10
  Lamont-Brown, Raymond. Queen Victoria’s ‘Secret Marriage’. Contemporary Review. Vol. 283 Issue 1655, 349-
352.
11
  Lamont-Brown, Raymond. Queen Victoria’s ‘Secret Marriage’. Contemporary Review. Vol. 283 Issue 1655, 349-
352.
12
     Make Poverty History; Dear John… History Today. Frontline. January 2005.

13
     Victoria (r.1837-1901). The Official Website of The British Monarchy. 2008-2009.
14
 Victoria (r.1837-1901). The Official Website of The British Monarchy. 2008-2009.

1877, under the Royal titles passed by Disrael’s Government. During which I tried to make life better for

women especially widows, outlawed slavery and infanticide, among other things. My reign is known as

the time when the sun never set, technological advices and great thinking seemed to happen daily.

Albert, before he died, arranged the Great Exhibition to celebrate the Industrial Revolution. Britain also

won the fight for Africa.

        I was fortunate to have my Diamond Jubilee celebrating my 60th year on the throne on June 20,

1897. So far the only British monarch to reign as long as I have and I am very proud. I appeared in public

in an open carriage, which was a little reckless on my part considering I had seven assassination

attempts in the span of my reign. During one Albert covered me with his body and was shot himself. At

the time I was pregnant with our first child.

                                                   Epilogue

        Queen Victoria continued to rule right up until her death on January 22, 1901 after an almost 64

year reign. Her health started to fail during the last year of her life. To this day she is the longest ruling

monarch. She was buried at Windsor in the Frogmore Royal Mausoleum, which she had built for Albert

and her final resting place.15 Above the Mausoleum door are Victoria’s words “Farewell best beloved

here at last I shall rest with thee, with thee in Christ I shall rise again.”16 Everything had to be white for

her funeral despite the fact that she wore black for the last part of her life after Albert died. It even

snowed during her funeral. Upon her request “a lock of Brown’s hair, his photograph, a pocket

handkerchief and several letters exchanged between them”17 were put in to her coffin. Victoria also had

Sir James Rieid, the doctor she had just before her death, put John Brown’s mother’s wedding ring in the

coffin with her. She quite often wore the ring.18

           Today there are countless books and movies on Queen Victoria. Most celebrating award winning

love story between Albert and Victoria, “Albert was rigidly moral and only had eyes for his own wife;

their union, along with that of George III and Queen Charlotte, is one of the rare marriages of the British

sovereign that was not sullied by adultery.”19 They were very much in love. Victoria is also honored with

having the Victorian era named for her, ended the year her death, was celebrating her reign. Because

there was no adultery during her marriage the Victorian age is known for being morally upright.

                                             Bibliography
Carroll, Leslie. The Royals: The Lives and Loves of the British Monarchs. New York. Metro Books.
2011.

Booth, Alison. Queen Victoria The Collective Biographies of Women: Biographies.

15
   Victoria (r.1837-1901). The Official Website of The British Monarchy. 2008-2009.
16
   Victoria (r.1837-1901). The Official Website of The British Monarchy. 2008-2009.
17
   Make Poverty History; Dear John… History Today. Frontline. January 2005.
18
   Lamont-Brown, Raymond. Queen Victoria’s ‘Secret Marriage’. Contemporary Review. Vol. 283 Issue 1655, 349-
352.
19
     Carroll, Leslie. The Royals: The Lives and Loves of the British Monarchs. New York. Metro Books. 2011.

Lamont-Brown, Raymond. Queen Victoria’s ‘Secret Marriage’. Contemporary Review. Vol. 283
Issue 1655, 349-352.

Make Poverty History; Dear John… History Today. Frontline. January 2005.

Pettinger, Tejvan R. Queen Victoria Quotes. Biography Online.

Victoria (r.1837-1901). The Official Website of The British Monarchy. 2008-2009.