Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria (24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 to 1901. She was on the throne longer than any other king or queen in the history of the United Kingdom. She was born in London to a German princess and an English prince in 1819. She became queen at the age of 18, on the death of her uncle, William IV.
She was educated by her governess, Louise Lehzen and Reverend George Davys. She learned to speak and read German and French well.
In 1840, Victoria married her first cousin, Prince Albert who encouraged science, trade and art. They had nine children, and made it clear they believed that a good family life and Christianity were very important. In general, English people followed their example. In 1851, the Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace was opened. It happened partly because of Albert's hard work. The exhibition featured the achievements of British people in the Victorian era.
In 1861, Prince Albert died and Victoria began to keep away from public life; this made her less popular. During the years that followed, Britain became more powerful, and in 1877, Victoria was given the title of "Empress of India". She became more popular with her people. In 1897, she had her Diamond Jubilee to celebrate 60 years of being on the throne.
Many of Victoria's children became monarchs, princes and princesses of other countries, and late in life she was called the "grandmother of Europe". Queen Victoria was always very interested in India, although she never went there. Queen Victoria enjoyed dancing, sketching, horse riding and singing; she was given lessons as a child by the famous opera singer Luigi LaBlache. She liked to paint and could play the piano.[1] She kept a regular diary throughout her life.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Princess Victoria, Princess Royal | 21 November 1840 | 5 August 1901 | Married 1858, Friedrich III, German Emperor and King of Prussia; had children. |
| King Edward VII | 9 November 1841 | 6 May 1910 | Married 1863, Princess Alexandra of Denmark; had children. |
| The Princess Alice | 25 April 1843 | 14 December 1878 | Married 1862, Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine; had children. |
| The Prince Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Duke of Edinburgh | 6 August 1844 | 31 July 1900 | Married 1874, Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna of Russia; had children. |
| The Princess Helena | 25 May 1846 | 9 June 1923 | Married 1866, Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg; had children. |
| The Princess Louise | 18 March 1848 | 3 December 1939 | Married 1871, John Douglas Sutherland Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll; no children. |
| The Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn | 1 May 1850 | 16 January 1942 | Married 1879, Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia; had children. |
| The Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany | 7 April 1853 | 28 March 1884 | Married 1882, Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont; had children. |
| The Princess Beatrice | 14 April 1857 | 26 October 1944 | Married 1885, Prince Henry of Battenberg; had children |
Ancestors
| Victoria of the United Kingdom | Father: Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Strathearn |
Paternal Grandfather: George III of the United Kingdom |
Paternal Great-grandfather: Frederick, Prince of Wales |
| Paternal Great-grandmother: Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha | |||
| Paternal Grandmother: Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz |
Paternal Great-grandfather: Charles Louis Frederick, Duke of Mecklenburg-Mirow | ||
| Paternal Great-grandmother: Magdalena Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst | |||
| Mother: Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld |
Maternal Grandfather: Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Ernest Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld | |
| Maternal Great-grandmother: Duchess Sophia Antonia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel | |||
| Maternal Grandmother: Princess Augusta Reuss of Ebersdorf |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Ernest Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen | ||
| Maternal Great-grandmother: Sophia Albertine of Erbach-Erbach |
| 40x40px | Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Victoria of the United Kingdom |
| 40x40px | Wikimedia Commons has media related to Victoria of the United Kingdom. |
References
- ↑ Arnstein, Walter L. "Victoria, Queen of Great Britain." Europe 1789-1914, Encyclopedia of the Age of Industry & Empire. Gale Biography in Context. Web. 10 June 2014.
Other websites
- Queen Victoria Citizendium
.svg){kind=link}