|
1) Biography
/
- born 1819 in London (father was Duke of Kent, died in the year after; mother a princess of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha)
- Victoria was educated in French, German, geography, history, politics, but later often blamed herself for not knowing enough
- with 16 she started writing diaries which she even published later
- after the death of her two uncles who were kings before, she became queen in 1837
- 1840 marriage with prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, her cousin ® Victoria adored him, he was her adviser in affairs of state(Great Exhibition “51)
- between “40 and “57 nine children, most married in royal families
- Albert died in 1861, Victoria sank into depression, wore black for the rest of her reign, shrinked from public appearance®was criticised by governement for living in that way
- 1877 Victoria became empress of India
- Victoria died in 1901 after 64 years of reign
2) Character
- was seen as a virtuous, self-confident, proud, cultivated woman by the people
- she herself often felt helpless, imperfect, irritable, uneducated, unconfident in public, always wanted to be good, sometimes stubborn, not able to cope with some things, \"addicted\" to her husband
3) Politics
- the Queen always had attendants who helped her in political affairs (Albert, Disraeli, Melbourne)
- Victoria“s activities in politics were always influenced by her personal feelings (e.g. her life in seclusion after Albert“s death, the way she treated Gladstone)
- Victoria cannot be seen as conservative or liberal ® personal preferation important for the support she gave the parliament
- her most important premierministers were Disraeli (Whigs) and Gladstone (Torries); Disraeli she nearly adored, Gladstone she hated
- possibilities for the monarch in nomination of governement were more and more cut ® more people were allowed to elect by Reform Acts
- policy of \"splendid isolation\" ( e.g. no intervention in the Prussia-Austria-Denmark war)
- the revolution of 1848 did not have an effect on Britain
- policy of free trade
4) The Victorian Age
· Increase of inventions, new thoughts establishing (utilitarianism, evolution), industrialization Ž new view on life, new view on man (intelligent, self-confident, proud, patriotic)
· Victoria became symbol of Britain“s new man (Great white queen) Ž Victorian lifestyle
|
