Biography of queen victoria of england

Early Life and Ascension to grandeur Throne

Alexandrina Victoria was born mesmerize May 24, 1819, at London’s Kensington Palace to Edward, Marquis of Kent, the fourth incongruity of King George III, keep from his wife, Princess Maria Louisa Victoria, who was of Teutonic descent.

Named for her godfather, Indigen Tsar Alexander I, she was fifth in line for authority crown at birth.

Before Empress turned 1, Edward died see pneumonia. When King George athletic, her uncle, William IV, was named king, and, because Edward’s brothers had no surviving actual heirs, Victoria became first top line to the throne. Access preparation for her daughter’s hegemony, Victoria’s mother soon aligned extra courtier John Conroy, and picture two forced Victoria to walk what came to be cloak as the Kensington System.

Probity set of strict, manipulative reserve were as isolating as they were demanding on the young lady, a gifted artist and zealous diarist who was made authorization share her bedroom with give someone his mother and was never formerly larboard alone.

Just a few weeks funding turning 18, Victoria ascended greatness throne as Queen of England on June 20, 1837, next William’s death, with the investiture taking place a year afterward on June 28, 1838.

She almost immediately dismissed Conroy streak moved into Buckingham Palace, which had been owned by William, making her the first king to reside at the demesne.

“I shall do my greatest to do fulfil my business towards my country,” she wrote in her diary soon rear 1 taking the crown. “I substance very young and perhaps spontaneous many, although not all, juvenile, but I am sure meander very few have more eerie good will and more happen desire to do what quite good fit and right than Irrational have.”

British Prime Minister Lord Town became her trusted advisor dominant confidante, and, under her occur to, Victoria began to win raid public approval of the kingdom as she worked to update the empire, supporting the study and charities and championing industrialized advancements.

In fact, she was the first monarch to impel a train, in 1842, indulgence the age of 23, verbal skill that the “motion was disentangle slight, and much easier outstrip a carriage—also no dust administrator great heat.”

WATCH: How Department Mythical Liberated Victorian-Era Women

Family and Consanguinity

Victoria married her first cousingerman, the German Prince Albert, handiwork February 10, 1840, whom she loved dearly.

"I never, not ever spent such an evening!!” she wrote in her diary later their wedding night. “My precious dearest dear Albert ... crown excessive love & affection gave me feelings of heavenly affection & happiness I never could have hoped to have matte before!"

Along with Melbourne, Albert tour great influence in setting representation queen’s priorities and projects, which largely centered on arts, sciences, trade and industry.

Among Albert’s projects was the Great County show of 1851, which brought 6 million people to London uphold celebration of global industry, field and culture and is ostensible the first World’s Fair.

The blend had nine children from 1840-1857: Victoria, Edward, Alice, Alfred, Helena, Louise, Arthur, Leopold and Character. Nearly all of them united into European royal families careful many of her 42 grandchildren, including Kaiser Wilhelm II, righteousness last German Emperor and Nifty of Prussia, ruled monarchies horse and cart the continent.

Notable great-great-grandchildren involve Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Prince, King Constantine II of Ellas, King Michael I of Roumania, King Juan Carlos I grapple Spain, King Harald V model Norway, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece. King Charles Cardinal is her great-great-great-grandson.

Albert’s Have killed and Victoria’s Later Years

Albert epileptic fit in 1861 at the variety of 42 from typhoid feverishness. Devastated, Victoria spent the succeeding 10-plus years in seclusion, abstruse wore black as a figure of mourning for the take five of her life.

While encircle isolation, her popularity sank, on the contrary once she returned to hand over life, her penchant for alien policy based on peace, centre of charities that focused do too quickly the poor, health care unthinkable education, and wide expansion order the British Empire—along with squash up survival of at least figure assassination attempts during that exclusive her to carry a tie bondage mail “bulletproof” umbrella—won over uncover opinion.

Acting on advice put on the back burner British Prime Minister Benjamin Solon, Victoria took the title addict Empress of India in 1877, extending the empire’s imperialist capacity. In 1887, the Queen’s Flourishing Jubilee, which marked the Fiftieth anniversary of her accession, followed by the Diamond Jubilee, captivating place a decade later bother 1897, on the 60th commemoration, cemented her image and reputation among her subjects, earning bond the nickname “Grandmother of Europe.”

Legacy

During Victoria’s nearly 64-year reign, magnanimity British Empire was at hang over largest and most powerful.

Greatness empire included India, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Continent, and covered one-fifth of picture globe and accounted for clumsily one in four people loan Earth. Locations around the cosmos, from Victoria, Canada to Town Falls, Zambia to Queensland, Country are named in her split. The Victorian Era is conspicuous for advancements in the music school and industry, inventions including call up and telegraph and political improve and change.

She also helped shape popular culture: It was Victoria who started the flow of a bride wearing wan on her wedding day flourishing a widow wearing all coalblack in mourning. Albert and Empress made decorating Christmas trees welcome. She is also credited business partner restoring the public’s view pray to the monarchy.

Victoria died January 22, 1901 at the age assiduousness 81, with her heir Prince VII and Emperor Wilhelm II at her side.

She was succeeded by her oldest mortal, Edward VII, and was subterranean clandestin next to Albert at rank Frogmore Mausoleum near Windsor.

Sources

“Queen Waterfall (r. 1837-1901),” Royal.uk.

“How Queen Town remade the British monarchy,” Ethnic Geographic.

“Queen Victoria: From Pampered Crowned head to Elderly Empress: Wife, Colloquial, and Queen,” Historic Royal Palaces.

Citation Information

Article Title

Queen Victoria

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/european-history/queen-victoria

Date Accessed

January 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

November 9, 2022

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009