Queen Victoria defined an entire century of history. You likely picture her as a serious older woman in black clothing, but her life was filled with romance and danger. She survived multiple assassination attempts and changed wedding fashion forever. Furthermore, she oversaw the expansion of the massive British Empire. Her reign saw the invention of the telephone and the car. Let’s explore the life of this powerful ruler.
Queen Victoria
She actually proposed to her husband, Prince Albert, herself. Surprisingly, royal protocol dictated that no one could propose to a reigning monarch. Therefore, Queen Victoria had to ask the question first.
Queen Victoria stood only four feet and eleven inches tall. However, her imposing personality made her seem much larger to everyone around her. Consequently, she often used a raised platform during public events.
She started the modern tradition of wearing a white wedding dress. Before her wedding, women simply wore their best colorful dress. Queen Victoria chose white specifically to highlight the delicate lace she loved.
Assassins tried to kill her at least seven different times during her reign. Luckily, she survived every single attempt on her life. In fact, she often went back out in public immediately after an attack.
She spoke German as her first language during her childhood. Interestingly, she only started learning English when she turned three years old. Later in life, she also learned to speak Hindustani fluently.
Queen Victoria popularized the use of pain relief during childbirth. Doctors gave her chloroform during the birth of her eighth child. Thus, she helped remove the religious stigma surrounding anesthesia for women.
She wore black mourning clothes for forty years. After Prince Albert died in 1861, she refused to wear colorful clothing ever again. Tragically, she remained in a state of mourning until her own death.
Servants laid out fresh clothes for her dead husband every single day. She insisted that his room remain exactly as he left it. Therefore, hot water for shaving was brought to his room daily for decades.
Her first name was actually Alexandrina, not Victoria. Family members called her “Drina” when she was a young child. However, she chose to rule as Queen Victoria to honor her mother.
She became the very first British monarch to ride on a train. Initially, she found the speed of 20 miles per hour quite terrifying. Nevertheless, she eventually loved rail travel and used it frequently.
Queen Victoria sent the famous Resolute desk to the American President. Builders constructed the desk from the timber of a retired British ship. Today, it still sits in the Oval Office of the White House.
She loved eating curry and demanded it on the menu daily. Her Indian staff cooked authentic dishes for her regularly. Consequently, she helped popularize Indian cuisine among the British upper class.
She carried the gene for hemophilia and passed it to her children. Unfortunately, this genetic condition spread to royal families across Russia and Spain. Thus, historians often call her the “Grandmother of Europe.”
A stalker named “The Boy Jones” broke into Buckingham Palace multiple times. Surprisingly, guards found him sitting on the throne and hiding under the Queen’s sofa. He even stole her underwear on one occasion.
She witnessed the invention of the telephone, the radio, and the car. Queen Victoria reigned during a time of massive technological change. Therefore, the world looked completely different when she died compared to when she started.
