Historical Connections to the Victorian Period

Do You Know Queen Victoria?

The Victorian Age is one of the most prosperous periods in British history. Just as the Elizabethan era was named after Queen Elizabeth, the name of the Victorian era pays homage to Queen Victoria. But how much do you know about her?

Destined to Be Queen

Queen Victoria was born to be a queen. Her grandfather, King George III, had many children to inherit the throne, including his eldest son who eventually succeeded him as George IV. The next heiress apparent was George IV's daughter, Princess Charlotte. When Princess Charlotte and her first son died tragically in 1817 during childbirth, George IV's brothers scrambled to marry and father children to inherit the crown. It was George III's fourth son, Prince Edward, who avoided a succession crisis and fathered a daughter named Victoria in 1819. When she was born, Victoria was fifth in line to inherit the crown, after her father and three uncles. By the time her uncle King William IV died in 1837, Victoria's father and eldest uncles had already passed away. The shy eighteen-year-old girl was crowned Queen of Great Britain and Ireland.

A Righteous Reign

Queen Victoria set out to restore the reputation of the monarchy as one of dignity and respect. Serving as a model of virtue and propriety for her subjects, she set a tone of decorum that contributed to a long-lasting stereotype of Victorian prudishness.

Victoria married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1840. They had a happy and affectionate marriage that produced nine children. As Prince Consort, Albert had no actual authority or power in Britain, yet he served as a loyal confidant and political adviser to his wife, Queen Victoria. Unfortunately, Albert became ill and died at the young age of forty-two. Victoria was devastated. She wore black and mourned Albert's death for the rest of her long life. At the time of her own death in 1901, she was the longest-reigning monarch in British history.