Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria, the only child of George III's fourth son, Edward, and
sister of Leopold, king of the Belgians, was queen of Great Britain for 63
yearsto date, the second longest than any other British monarch and
the second longest of any female monarch in history (Queen Elizabeth II
is currently the longest serving monarch to date). Victoria's reign saw
great cultural expansion; advances in industry, science, and
communications; and the building of railways and the London
Underground. She died in England in 1901.

She was born Alexandrina Victoria on May 24, 1819, in London, England,
the only child of George III's fourth son, Edward, and Victoria Maria
Louisa of Saxe-Coburg, sister of Leopold, king of the Belgians.

Victorias father died when she was eight months old and her mother
became a domineering influence in her life. Educated at the Royal Palace
by a governess, she had a gift for drawing and painting and developed a
passion for journal writing.

Upon her fathers death, Victoria became the heir apparent, since her
three surviving uncles, who were ahead of her in succession, had no
legitimate heirs who had survived childhood. When King William IV died
in June 1837, Victoria became queen at the very young age of 18.
Victorias first prime minister, Lord Melbourne, was her political advisor
and confidant and helped teach the young queen the intricacies of being
a constitutional monarch.

A Marriage Partnership

In 1840, she married her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and

Gotha. At first, the British public didnt warm up to the German prince and
he was excluded from holding any official political position. The couple
were intensely devoted to each other and shared a strong enough
affection to have nine children. Prince Albert also became her strongest
ally, helping her navigate difficult political waters. In 1861, Alfred died of
typhoid fever after several years of suffering from stomach ailments.
Victoria was devastated and went into a 25-year seclusion.

Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

Under Queen Victoria's reign, Great Britain experienced unprecedented

expansion in industry, building railways, bridges, underground sewers and
power distribution networks throughout much of the empire. There were
advances in science (Charles Darwin's theory of evolution) and technology
(the telegraph and popular press), vast numbers of inventions,
tremendous wealth and poverty; growth of great cities like Manchester,
Leeds and Birmingham; increased literacy; and great civic works, often
funded by industrial philanthropists. During her reign, Britain expanded its
imperial reach, doubling in size and encompassing Canada, Australia,
India and various possessions in Africa and the South Pacific. During her
reign people used to say: The sun never sets on the British Empire.

At various points in her reign, Queen Victoria exercised some influence

over foreign affairs, expressing her preference, but not pressing beyond
the bounds of constitutional propriety. During this time, the British Empire
experienced only a few small wars, exerting its authority over foreign
possessions. One of the major factors that helped Britain avoid European
entanglements was the marriage of Victoria's children: either directly or by
marriage, she was related to the royal houses of nearly every major
European power, with the exceptions of France and Spain.
During Queen Victorias reign, British Parliamentary politics went through
a major transition. The Tory Party split, forming the Liberal and
Conservative parties, and started a succession of opposing
administrations. Victoria played a crucial role as mediator between
arriving and departing prime ministers. Though she detested Liberal
Prime Minister William Gladstone, she found ways to work with him, even
during her mourning period. She was particularly fond of Conservative
Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, who linked the Monarchy to the
expansion of the empire, which helped restore public opinion following
Queen Victorias long seclusion after the death of her beloved Albert

Death and Legacy

Life in Britain during the 19th century was known as Victorian England
because of Queen Victorias long reign and the indelible stamp it and her
persona placed on the country. Her ethics and personality have become
synonymous with the era.

Victoria continued in her duties up to her death. In keeping with tradition,

she spent Christmas 1900 at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, where
her health quickly declined to the point that she was unable to return to
London. She died on January 22, 1901, at age 81. Her son and
successor King Edward VII and her eldest grandson Emperor Wilhelm II
of Germany were both at her bedside.

VICTORIAN ERA
When Queen Victoria ascended the British throne in 1837, it
marked the beginning of a promising new age - the Victorian
era.
The preceding Georgian era had lasted from 1714 to 1830, from
the reign of George I through George IV.

Era of Peace and Prosperity

As the British Empire expanded to cover more than a quarter of

the globe, it made Britain the most powerful nation in the world.

The preceding years of the Industrial Revolution had led to the

mass production of goods, making them far more affordable for
common people, but life for mill workers was harsh.

During the Victorian era in England, law-makers and trade

unions began to address and improve working conditions,
particularly for child labour.

They eventually made it illegal for children to work more than

69 hours per week.

As living standards improved throughout the Victorian period,

birth rates increased.

Lack of war and famine coupled with improved health standards

meant that the population exploded from 13.8 million in England
in 1831, to 32.5 million by 1901.

Changes in Society

Middle class England grew rapidly and the upper class, which
was formerly purely hereditary, came to include the nouveau
riche, who made fortunes from successful commercial
enterprises.
However, a large proportion of Victorian society was still working
class, and they remained disgruntled at the social inequality and
eventually sought reform.

While life in Victorian England changed dramatically during the

industrial revolution, the biggest social change was felt in the
cities. Thousands of citizens left the rural life and came to the
large metropolises for the guaranteed jobs which manufacturing
offered. London, Manchester, and Birmingham all felt the effects
of the growing industrialization.

This influx of people into the city centers made for rapid growth
and prosperity.

However, there was also a very negative aspect as the crowds of

workers had to be accommodated and cared for in a system
which was not prepared to do so.

Victorian Houses

Some of the loveliest homes in the United Kingdom were built in

the Victorian era, when quality workmanship and craftsmen's
skills allowed for individual detail and bespoke designs on each
Victorian house.

Tenement buildings were quickly built in Victorian London for

factory workers and their families. Large houses were turned
into flats.

The cost of rent was extremely high, especially when a worker

wanted to live within walking distance of his place of
employment.
Conditions were often cramped as many members of a single
family would live in one room. Many landlords were indifferent
to the appalling conditions their tenents were living in and with
housing so difficult to find.

Running water, sanitation facilities, even cooking arrangements

were rough-shod at best. With tenements consisting of many
floors, Victorian Londoners lived cheek-by-jowl with their
neighbors.

Wealthier families were able to enjoy single homes which often

featured bay windows, running water, and even electricity.

Victorian Children

-The Rich

Most girls were taught by governess or private boarding schools,

as boys. Girls honed their home-making skills while boys would
learn either estate management or financial procedures.

Dances and other group gatherings would happen on a regular

basis. "Well to do" Victorian Children enjoyed travel, with either
trips to the seaside or to The Continent. Pocket change was
available for any small personal purchases.

-The Poor

Poverty was a way of life for many Victorian children. Food was
whatever could be found, scraped together, or stolen. Starvation
and cold were facts of life.

Clothing most often came from trash barrels, or was purchased

with whatever few coins a person had on hand. Ill health was
often cured only by death as the poor could not afford medical
care.

Children were expected to help supplement the family budget

and were sent to work quite young. These weren't gentile jobs,
they were manual labour paying extremely low wages.

Factories employed the young to crawl beneath huge machinery

- into spaces which adults were too large to enter. Long hours of
drudgery would be the order of the day, often starting before
dawn and continuing after dark. Conditions were unsafe.
Children who crawled beneath working machines were often
killed.

Coal mines wanted children to open and close ventilating doors.

Until the middle of the 1800's, children as young as five would
often work up to 12 hours a day underground, often barefoot.

Crime

Jack the Ripper immediately comes to mind when crime is

mentioned. However, he was more the exception than the rule.

Petty crimes, such as pick-pocketing and food-snatching, were a

regular occurrence, but assault was not the norm. Violent crime
(read that as crimes shedding a lot of blood) were very unusual.

Doing a person in by poison was popular. Dr. Hawley Crippen is

perhaps the most famous user of poison, although Dr. Thomas
Cream had his share of press.

When the Metropolitan Police was organized in 1829, 'bobbies'

were a common sight on the city streets. The old palace which
was used by the Scots, Scotland Yard, became their
headquarters.

Public Buildings

With the increase of people in the city, Victorian London began

to build public facilities. Tower Bridge became a reality in 1894.

Public squares were offered for pleasure, and for privacy to

homeowners. The present Trafalgar Square was completed in
1845. Grosvenor Square, originally built to only be enjoyed by
homeowners in the area, was improved and is now a public
park.

To keep everyone on schedule, Big Ben, the clock tower of

the Houses of Parliament was built in 1859.

Transport Evolution

Railways continued to develop, offering mass transit for city

dwellers who were able to spend time off visiting the seaside
and participating in the new pastime of sea bathing.

From Brighton to Bridlington fashionable seaside resorts sprang

up. Boarding houses were built along the seafronts of towns
near to industrialized areas such
as London, Manchester, Leeds and the northwest of England.

In London, the worlds first underground railway, nicknamed the

Tube, opened in 1863.

Politics, The Arts and Science

Politically, during the Victoria era, the House of Commons had

two main political parties: the Tories and the Whigs.
By the mid 19th century the Whigs were known as the Liberal
party and the Tories were the Conservative party. The Labour
party only came into being in 1900.

Prince Albert was a keen supporter of the Arts and London

blossomed under his patronage with the building of the Royal
Albert Hall, the Royal Opera House, the Science Museum,
the Natural History Museum and The Victoria and Albert Museum.

Poetry, literature and art flourished with the Bronte sisters,

George Eliot, Oscar Wilde, Rudyard Kipling and Charles
Dickens publishing popular works.

Scientifically, the Victorian era also saw huge success. Darwin

published his Theory of Evolution and the Great Exhibition of
1851 showcased many industrial and technological advances in
the specially built Crystal Palace.

Sigmund Freud developed modern psychiatry and Karl Marx

developed his new economic theory.

The Victorian era in Great Britain was a time of great change

and progress and is still considered the Birth of Modern Times.