Victoria and Her 200th Anniversary
Victoria and Her 200th Anniversary
Queen Victoria was famously known as having gone to bed a Princess and woke up to be the Queen of Britain. 24th May 2019 marked the 200th anniversary of this remarkable Queen whose name denotes an entire era of British history.
The night Victoria became Queen
In her journals, Queen Victoria wrote of the night when she became the Queen of Britain,
“I was awoke at 6 o’clock by Mamma, who told me the Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Conyngham were here and wished to see me. I got out of bed and went into my sitting-room (only in my dressing gown) and alone and saw them. Lord Conyngham then acquainted me that my poor Uncle, the King, was no more, and had expired at 12 minutes past 2 this morning, and consequently that I am Queen”
Victoria – An iconic monarch
One of the most iconic monarchs in history, Queen Victoria – Alexandrina Victoria, was born in Kensington Palace on 24th May 1819, to Edward Augustus of Great Britain, Duke of Kent and Strathearn and Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. She became Queen at the young age of 18 and reigned for 63 years until her death in 1901. She is the first monarch to have her name given to the period of her reign while she was alive. She was the empress of the world’s largest ever empire, that ruled the world. The list of places named after her are extensive and dotted all over the Commonwealth countries.
Discover the real Victoria, made in Kensington Exhibition
To celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria, the Historic Royal Palaces is hosting exhibitions and a number of events during this season – Discover the real Victoria, made in Kensington. The exhibitions at Kensington Palace opens on 24th May 2019 and will feature the rooms where Queen Victoria grew-up in. These have been restored for visitors to explore and to get an intimate look at the childhood of this iconic monarch.
If you are visiting UK during this season, I would highly recommend it.
UPDATE: February 2020 – The Exhibition on Queen Victoria has now ended. Kensington Palace continues to host other exhibitions which may interest you. Check their official website here
Read on my visit to this exhibition at Kensington Palace on its opening day on 24th May 2019.
More on how to get here and other useful information below.
A brief look at history on Queen Victoria
Victoria’s Childhood
Although described as the woman who redefined Britain’s monarchy, Queen Victoria had a sheltered childhood, which she herself described as “sad” in one of her journal entries – she was controlled by her over-protective mother, the Duchess of Kent and the power-obsessed John Conroy, isolated by rules, known as the “Kensington System” during her youth. She was “home” tutored, shared her room with her mother and was never alone. She was not allowed friends. She found a way to express her thoughts in her diary – she started writing her journal when she was 13.
When she succeeded her uncle, William IV, soon after her 18th birthday, her first request as Queen was to have an hour alone. Thereafter, she moved to Buckingham Palace, making that her official royal residence. The Queen described her coronation as a “beautiful impressive moment” (Journal entry, 28 June 1838).
There is a short trailer from the drama series Victoria (2016), which shows her ascension to the throne, her marriage to Prince Albert and much more…taken from her personal journal entries and depicted for the show. You can view it here.
Victoria & Albert
Queen Victoria fell in love with Prince Albert, whom she married four months later.
In her journal entries, she wrote,
“Albert really is quite charming, and so excessively handsome… a beautiful figure, broad in the shoulders and a fine waist. My heart is quite going.”
They were a couple deeply in love.
In a further journal entry, Queen Victoria described her husband as,
“so kind, so affectionate; oh! to feel I was, and am, loved by such an Angel as Albert, was too great delight to describe!”
(Journal entry, 15 October 1839). They welcomed nine children.
Victoria & Albert – their love affair with Isle of Wight and Scottish Highlands
Victoria and Albert fell in love with the Isle of Wight where they frequently visited for their summer vacation. They were inspired by their visits to the Bay of Naples and built Osborne House on a spot where Queen Victoria once described as “it would be impossible to imagine a prettier spot.”
At the same time, the couple also visited the Scottish Highlands and they fell in love with the wild and romantic landscape of the highlands. It reminded Albert of his home in Germany. The couple bought Balmoral and built a neo-Gothic castle between 1853 and 1856 which remains a private residence for the Royal Family today.
You can view a short video here on the incredibly beautiful architecture of Balmoral Castle (credit to Architecture, 2018). I am sure that you will enjoy watching it 🙂
Victoria promoted Scotland through her visits and attended several Highland Games. She documented her experiences and wrote a bestselling book, Highland Leaves. You can preview it and buy a copy by clicking the links below:
UK CUSTOMERS
USA CUSTOMERS
To learn more about the enchanted land of Scotland, don’t miss the Ultimate Travel Guide to Scotland which has all the information you need to plan your vacation – Weather | Seasons | Cities | Places to stay | Places to visit and much more.
Victoria and Albert – The death of Prince Albert
Unfortunately, Prince Albert died of typhoid in 1861 at the age of 42. Queen Victoria was devastated and only ever wore black afterwards for the rest of her life as a sign of mourning. Queen Victoria spent her later years in Isle of Wight, making Osborne House her permanent home until her death in 1901. You can read more about Isle of Wight in my blog, Isle of Wight Top 5 and the Victorian Love Affair by clicking the link below.
Conclusion
The Victorian era was an era of prosperity, political reform and strong family values. Queen Victoria is known for popularising many of today’s customs and traditions. For this reason, to honour Queen Victoria, an Exhibition is held at Kensington Palace. I think this is an exciting opportunity to take a look at life “as it was” and walk in the footsteps of royalty.
Travel tips and Useful information on how to get to Kensington Palace, London
For tickets and how to get here, please see below.
Tickets
Entry to Kensington Palace is £17.50 for Adults and £8.70 for Child.
You may wish to consider purchasing an Annual Membership with the Historic Royal Palaces which grants you unlimited access to 6 Royal Palaces including Kensington Palace. You can read more of its benefits in my blog, Why the Historic Royal Palaces Annual Membership is good for me.
Skip the line and buy your tickets to Kensington Palace
Opening Times
Monday-Sunday: 10:00-18:00
Last admission: 17:00
Getting here
Kensington Palace, Kensington Gardens,
London W8 4PX
Public Transport
London Underground and trains
High Street Kensington station (10 – 15 minute walk) – for the District, Circle and Piccadilly lines
Queensway station (10 – 15 minute walk) – for the Central line
Notting Hill Gate station (20 – 25 minute walk) – for Central, District and Circle lines
Paddington station (20 minute walk)
Bus
Routes 70, 94, 148, and 390 stop along Bayswater Road
Routes 9, 10, 49, 52, 70 and 452 stop along Kensington High Street
More ways to experience London
There are more than one way to experience London. In this respect, you may be interested in the following activities:
If you are interested in visiting more attractions and things to do in London on a budget, the London Pass gives you access to over 80 attractions over a period of days – extremely useful when you are spending more than a couple of days in London. Take a look and see if it suits your needs.
I sincerely hope you have enjoyed reading this article and you would plan a trip to London soon. In the meantime, subscribe and receive exclusive news to your inbox. Do get in touch if you have any questions at all.
Happy discovering London!
Georgina xx
Pin me on Pinterest!
