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Queen Victoria reigned over Great Britain and Ireland from June 20, 1837, until she died on Jan. 22, 1901. She was also the first Empress of India, serving in that capacity from May 1, 1876, until her death. Victoria, christened Alexandrina Victoria, was born on May 24, 1819, at Kensington Palace, London, England.
Victoria’s father was Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, and her mother was Victoria of Saxe Coburg Saalfeld, the sister of Leopold who became King Leopold I of Belgium. Victoria was the product of a race to product the next heir to the throne. Her father’s two brothers, George IV and William IV, married and tried to produce their own possible heirs, but their children died in infancy.
King George III and Victoria’s father, the Duke of Kent, both died in 1820. King George IV reigned from 1820 until he died in 1830. Then William IV reigned as king until his death in 1837. After William died, the young, and previously unknown Victoria, became Queen. Victoria was 18 years old. Before she was crowned Queen, few people had access to Victoria. The most important people in her live included her mother, Victoria, the Duchess of Kent, Feodore, her half-sister, her governess, Louise Lehzen (the Baroness), and her uncle Leopold who became a very important father figure after Edward died.
After Victoria was crowned, she essentially alienated her mother, having almost nothing to do with her. This alienation was caused by the Queen’s experience growing up under the Kensington System: a set of extremely strict rules initiated by the Duchess and Sir John Conroy. These rules prevented Victoria from being alone with anyone except the Duchess, Conroy, or the Governess, so she was not able to play with other kids or be alone with anyone at any time. One of her first royal decisions was that she be allowed one hour to sit in a room completely by herself. She also ordered her bed to be removed from her mother’s room immediately.
Queen Victoria’s Greatest Accomplishment
Of Queen Victoria’s greatest accomplishments during her reign, two stand out. According to many accounts, her family, and the fact that she was well regarded as a ruler, were achievements worthy of mention; especially her family, since their influence was far-reaching in its scope.
During the Victorian Era, the institutions of motherhood and family were regard highly by the general public. However, Victoria’s ancestors had a difficult time producing heirs to the throne. But Victoria did not, though she hated pregnancy and childbirth, and did not like being in the presence of infants and children. She had nine children of her own, and they produced 42 grandchildren and 85 great-grandchildren. Her sons and daughters married into royal families all over the European continent. As a result of this, it was said that she was the grandmother of all of Europe: a well-deserved designation.
References:
The Life & Issue of Queen Victoria by Ilana Miller
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Queen Victoria: Bio from the Encyclopedia Britannica
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