Queen Victoria may have enjoyed the splendor of the throne, but she was a victim of her family all her life. She spent her childhood in numerous limitations, in addition to a depressed mother with numerous traumas that will be crucial in the formation of her personality. She ruled Great Britain for 63 years and seven months, and even today she is called the "grandmother of Europe". There were good and bad moments. Britain was a constitutional monarchy at that time, although it did not have a written constitution. It was a period of great economic prosperity, but it was never all pleasant and beautiful. This would mean that on the one hand luxury and wealth reigned, but on the other hand, unfortunately, misery and poverty were present. However, her life is far from a fairy tale. Here are some facts from her long, but not so happy life:
Her father died before she was a year old
Queen Victoria never met her father because he died before she turned one. With this event, he started through severe accidents that shook the royal family. When she was born, no one expected Victoria to become queen. Her father was the king's 4th child, and Victoria had 3 uncles and 5 more relatives with the right to the throne before her. However, John Conroy, her mother's secretary, worked thoroughly to make Victoria queen - from influencing the parliament to instilling various intrigues - in a word, Victoria was his life project! When Victoria was only 5 years old, a huge political campaign began that aimed to bring her to the royal position.
Her mother couldn't stand her
Victoria was a terribly stubborn child. Her mother gave her the nickname "Pocket Hercules". Her mother would often threaten that her uncle would beat her if she was not good. Every time my uncle came, little Victoria would scream out loud, writes the Listverse portal.
A lonely childhood
Victoria was not allowed to play with other children. From the age of 5, the princess was placed in a special upbringing regime called the "Kensington System". The only person who took care of her upbringing was John Conroy. She was never alone! Even at night, while she slept, she guarded the governess by her bed. A detailed report on her behavior went directly to the office of John Conroy, who justified this system of education by building the morale of the future queen. On the other hand, Victoria's childhood was destroyed, and the man she hated the most was her educator.
There are indications that John Conroy was Victoria's father
Victoria is the first known patient with hemophilia in the royal family, but it is not clear how she got it. It is possible that she got it due to some genetic mutation, because her father was fifty-five years old when Victoria was conceived. Also, there was speculation that the Duke of Kent was not her biological father, but that she was the daughter of the Duke's personal secretary and proven Irish womanizer, Sir John Conroy. Although there is some evidence that there was a romantic relationship between Conroy and Victoria's mother (Victoria claimed to the Duke of Wellington that she personally witnessed the affair), Conroy's medical history shows no trace of hemophilia in the family, and the disease is usually transmitted through women. . It is much more likely that she got it from her mother, although there is no history of hemophilia in her mother's family either.
Her mother was trying to steal her throne
On one of her travels, Victoria fell into bed mowed down by typhoid fever. Her mother and her secretary tried to take over her power by forcing her to sign a dubious decree on "sharing responsibility". Victoria refused. They say that John Conroy went a step further and denied her food and medical help. Victoria was on the verge of death. One day the governess smuggled a doctor who saved her life. Victoria survived and did not sign the disputed decree, but this event further complicated her relationship with her mother and the chancellor.
She did not experience what happiness was until she was 18 years old
And when she turned 18, that day came too! Victoria later said that the coronation was the most beautiful day of her life. Her coronation was marked by an event when she helped an old man who stumbled while climbing the steps. Victoria violated royal protocol and helped old Lord Roll. Everyone present reacted with enthusiasm to this beautiful gesture, and the young queen bought the hearts of all those present.
The first moves of the new queen
One of the first things the new queen did was to fire John Conroy from the court. In order to distance her mother, she had to get married.
After 6 months, Victoria fulfilled that by marrying her close cousin Prince Albert of Belgium. She finally removed her mother, and unofficially appointed her favorite governess (the same one who saved her life) as an advisor. With her husband Albert, Victoria was delighted. After her first wedding night, she wrote in her diary that she adored him and that the relationship with him was "bliss beyond all expectations." He has all the qualities that could give me all the happiness - she wrote.
Unexpected death
Victoria's happiness did not last. At the age of 42, her beloved husband Albert died suddenly of typhus. After 21 years of happy marriage, Queen Victoria was broken so much that she did not recover for the rest of her life. She mourned him for the next 40 years and wore black until her death. Even after his death, his premises were maintained exactly as he requested, and the servants took his shaving equipment to his salon every morning, along with a container containing hot water.
The death of Victoria's mother
In the same year, 1861, Victoria's mother died. From the moment she kicked her out of the court, their relationship cooled, but Victoria still allowed rare visits to the former queen for her mother to see her grandchildren. When she received the news of her mother's death, she went to the house where she passed away and found an incredibly neat and large collection of her childhood toys. There were all her dresses and shoes. This scene broke the queen's heart and made her wonder if and how much her mother actually loved her.
"Grandma of Europe"
Queen Victoria died on January 22, 1901, after 63 years, 7 months and 2 days of rule, longer than any British monarch ruled before her. She was surpassed only for a moment by the British Queen and her great-granddaughter Elizabeth II. Victoria and Albert had ten children - five sons and five daughters. The oldest among them was Princess Victoria, who was less than seventeen years old when she had her youngest sister, Beatrice. Victoria was succeeded by her eldest son, the Prince of Wales, who ruled as King Edward VII. Victoria had forty grandchildren, four of whom were ruling monarchs. Numerous flames of today originate from it.
