Queen Victoria

Victoria ruled from 1837 to 1901

Queen Victoria, whom the Victorian Era was named for, ruled from 1837 to 1901. As well as being Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, she was also the first monarch to use the title Empress of India.
Victoria had been niece to the previous king, and because of his lack for an heir within his own family she became next in line to the throne. Her reign lasted almost 64 years, making her the longest reigning monarch in the history of England.

Victorian Era

The Victorian Era took place from 1837 to 1900 in England. The Victorian Era was at the height of the Industrial Revolution, a period of significant social, economic, and technological change in the United Kingdom. Named for Queen Victoria, the time period for its unique fashions, arts and literature. Many pieces of literature that were produced in the Victorian Era continue to be recognized as classics today.

Daughter of Edward

Queen Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria) was born in 1819 and died in 1901. Vicoria was the daughter of Edward, the duke of Kent and Strathearn, and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg. She was baptised in the Cupola Room of Kensington Palace on 24 June 1819 by Charles Manners-Sutton, Archbishop of Canterbury. The queen was brought up in seclusion. Victoria was the last monarch of the House of Hanover.

Queen of United Kingdom and Ireland

When Victoria ascended the throne, the government was controlled by the Whig Party. The Whig Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, at once became a powerful influence in the life of the politically inexperienced queen. In 1839, unable to cope with the problems overseas, the ministry of Lord Melbourne resigned.

Prince Albert

Princess Victoria met her future husband, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, when she was sixteen years old. Prince Albert lived from 1819 to 1861. He was the son of the duke of Saxe-Coburg, which is in what is now Germany, and cousin to his own wife. Queen Victoria married Prince Albert on 10 February 1840 at the Chapel Royal in St. James's Palace; four days before, Victoria granted her husband the style His Royal Highness. In 1851, the first World Fair, known as the Great Exhibition of 1851, was held. Organised by Prince Albert, the exhibition was officially opened by queen Victoria on 1 May 1851. The Great Exhibition proved an incredible success, with its profits being used to endow the South Kensington Museum (later renamed the Victoria and Albert Museum). The Prince Consort died in 1861, devastating Victoria, who entered a semi-permanent state of mourning and wore black for the remainder of her life.

Disraeli and Gladstone

In 1868, the Conservative Benjamin Disraeli entered office. He would later prove to be Victoria's favourite Prime Minister. His ministry, however, soon collapsed, and he was replaced by William Ewart Gladstone. The Queen disliked William Ewart Gladstone, as well as his policies, as much as she admired Benjamin Disraeli. Benjamin Disraeli returned to power in 1874, at which time an imperialist sentiment was espoused by many in the country, including the new Prime Minister and the Queen, as well as many in Europe.
Victoria's conflicts with William Ewart Gladstone continued during her later years. Queen Victoria was forced to accept his proposed electoral reforms, including the Representation of the People Act 1884, which considerably increased the electorate. Gladstone's government fell in 1885, to be replaced by the ministry of a Conservative, Lord Salisbury.

Queen Victoria's last years

During Victoria's last years, the United Kingdom was involved in the Boer War, which received the enthusiastic support of the Queen. Victoria's personal life was marked by many personal tragedies, including the death of her son, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the fatal illness of her daughter, the Empress of Germany, and the death of two of her grandsons.
Queen Victoria died Osborne House on the Isle of Wight on 22 January 1901, having reigned for sixty-three years, seven months, and two days, more than any British monarch before or since. Her funeral occurred on 2 February. Vcitoria was interred in the Frogmore Mausoleum beside her husband Prince Albert. Queen Victoria was succeeded by her eldest son, the Prince of Wales, who reigned as King Edward VII.

More information

Victorian Furniture
Victorian Home Style
Victorian houses