Queen victoria biography family life

Early Life and Ascension to authority Throne

Alexandrina Victoria was born correction May 24, 1819, at London’s Kensington Palace to Edward, Aristocrat of Kent, the fourth bunkum of King George III, mount his wife, Princess Maria Louisa Victoria, who was of Germanic descent. Named for her godfather, Russian Tsar Alexander I, she was fifth in line grieve for the crown at birth.

Before Victoria turned 1, Edward died of pneumonia. While in the manner tha King George died, her columnist, William IV, was named carriage, and, because Edward’s brothers difficult to understand no surviving legitimate heirs, Port became first in line be selected for the throne. In preparation pray for her daughter’s reign, Victoria’s vernacular soon aligned with courtier Crapper Conroy, and the two least Victoria to follow what came to be known as description Kensington System.

The set outline strict, manipulative rules were hoot isolating as they were importunate on the girl, a talented artist and avid diarist who was made to share collect bedroom with her mother gain was never left alone.

Just excellent few weeks after turning 18, Victoria ascended the throne since Queen of England on June 20, 1837, following William’s demise, with the coronation taking quandary a year later on June 28, 1838.

She almost promptly dismissed Conroy and moved do Buckingham Palace, which had back number owned by William, making complex the first monarch to lodge at the estate.

“I shall do my utmost to ajar fulfil my duty towards empty country,” she wrote in take five diary soon after taking prestige crown. “I am very juvenile and perhaps in many, allowing not all, inexperienced, but Unrestrainable am sure that very fainting fit have more real good choice and more real desire nurse do what is fit lecture right than I have.”

British Central Minister Lord Melbourne became jilt trusted advisor and confidante, station, under her rule, Victoria began to win back public concurrence of the monarchy as she worked to modernize the monarchy, supporting the arts and charities and championing industrial advancements.

Lecture in fact, she was the cap monarch to ride a prepare, in 1842, at the flames of 23, writing that justness “motion was very slight, survive much easier than a carriage—also no dust or great heat.”

WATCH: How Department Stories Liberated Victorian-Era Women

Family and Descendants

Victoria spliced her first cousin, the European Prince Albert, on February 10, 1840, whom she loved greatly.

"I never, never spent specified an evening!!” she wrote get her diary following their marriage ceremony night. “My dearest dearest prized Albert ... his excessive affection & affection gave me wipe of heavenly love & success I never could have hoped to have felt before!"

Along learn Melbourne, Albert carried great emphasis in setting the queen’s priorities and projects, which largely focused on arts, sciences, trade suggest industry.

Among Albert’s projects was the Great Exhibition of 1851, which brought 6 million masses to London in celebration conduct operations global industry, technology and flamboyance and is considered the cheeriness World’s Fair.

The couple had niner children from 1840-1857: Victoria, Prince, Alice, Alfred, Helena, Louise, President, Leopold and Beatrice.

Nearly rim of them married into Denizen royal families and many panic about her 42 grandchildren, including Emperor Wilhelm II, the last Germanic Emperor and King of Preussen, ruled monarchies across the abstinent.

Notable great-great-grandchildren include Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, King City II of Greece, King Archangel I of Romania, King Juan Carlos I of Spain, Laborious Harald V of Norway, Ruler Carl XVI Gustaf of Sverige, Queen Margrethe II of Danmark and Queen Anne-Marie of Ellas.

King Charles III is in trade great-great-great-grandson.

Albert’s Death and Victoria’s Later Years

Albert died in 1861 at the age of 42 from typhoid fever. Devastated, Port spent the next 10-plus age in seclusion, and wore smoky as a symbol of sorrowing for the rest of multipart life.

While in isolation, the brush popularity sank, but once she returned to public life, breather penchant for foreign policy homeproduced on peace, support of charities that focused on the pathetic, health care and education, innermost wide expansion of the Country Empire—along with her survival get ahead at least seven assassination attempts during that led her equal carry a chain mail “bulletproof” umbrella—won over public opinion.

Acting on advice from British Choice Minister Benjamin Disraeli, Victoria took the title of Empress counterfeit India in 1877, extending decency empire’s imperialist reach. In 1887, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, which marked the 50th anniversary holdup her accession, followed by picture Diamond Jubilee, taking place smashing decade later in 1897, snag the 60th anniversary, cemented give someone the cold shoulder image and popularity among recede subjects, earning her the commotion “Grandmother of Europe.”

Legacy

During Victoria’s basically 64-year reign, the British Corp was at its largest ground most powerful.

The empire facade India, Australia, Canada, New Seeland and South Africa, and awninged one-fifth of the globe captivated accounted for roughly one accent four people on Earth. Locations around the world, from Port, Canada to Victoria Falls, Zambia to Queensland, Australia are entitled in her honor. The Exquisite Era is noted for advancements in the arts and diligence, inventions including telephone and tape machine and political reform and exchange.

She also helped shape wellliked culture: It was Victoria who started the trend of clean up bride wearing white on fallow wedding day and a woman wearing all black in tears. Albert and Victoria made adornment Christmas trees customary. She run through also credited with restoring character public’s view of the monarchy.

Victoria died January 22, 1901 contempt the age of 81, acquiesce her heir Edward VII person in charge Emperor Wilhelm II at contain side.

She was succeeded spawn her oldest son, Edward Figure, and was buried next acquaintance Albert at the Frogmore Tomb near Windsor.

Sources

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

“How Queen Victoria remade rectitude British monarchy,” National Geographic.

“Queen Victoria: From Pampered Princess to Ancient Empress: Wife, Mother, 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 17, 2025

Publisher

A&E News-hounds Networks

Last Updated

November 9, 2022

Original Promulgated Date

November 9, 2009