QUEEN VICTORIA 24 MAY 1819 — 22 JANUARY

QUEEN VICTORIA (24 MAY 1819 - 22 JANUARY 1901 )

Victoria was born in London on 24 May 1819, the only child of Edward, Duke of Kent, and Victoria Maria Louisa of Saxe -Coburg. She succeeded her uncle, William IV, in 1837, at the age of 18, and her reign spanned the rest of the century.

CHILDHOOD Her father died shortly after her birth and she became heir to the throne because three uncles who were ahead of her in succession George IV, Frederick Duke of York, and William IV - had no legitimate children who survived. Victoria later described her childhood as "rather melancholy". Her mother was extremely protective, and Victoria was raised largely isolated from other children under the so called "Kensington System", an elaborate set of rules and protocols. The system prevented the princess from meeting people was deemed undesirable and was designed to render her weak and dependent upon them Warmhearted and lively, Victoria had a gift for drawing and painting; educated by a governess at home, she was a natural diarist and kept a regular journal throughout her life. She studied with private tutors, her lessons included French, German, Italian, and Latin, but she spoke only English at home.

Marriage Victoria married her first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. They were married on 10 February 1840, in the Chapel Royal of St. James's Palace, London. It was a the loudest wedding ceremony of the XIX century. After she wrote in her diary: «This was the happiest day of my life!» . Her marriage to Prince Albert brought nine children between 1840 and 1857. Most of her children married into other Royal families of Europe Victoria was deeply attached to her husband she sank into depression after he died, aged 42, in 1861. She had lost a devoted husband her principal trusted adviser in affairs of state. For the rest of her reign she wore black.

Victoria relied heavily on Albert and it was during his lifetime that she was most active as a ruler. Britain was evolving into a constitutional monarchy in which the monarch had few powers and was expected to remain above party politics, although Victoria did sometimes express her views very forcefully in private. Her subsequent withdrawal from public life made her unpopular, but during the late 1870 s and 1880 s she gradually returned to public view and, with increasingly pro-imperial sentiment, she was restored to favor with the British public. After the Indian Mutiny in 1857, the government of India was transferred from the East India Company to the Crown. In 1877, Victoria became empress of India. Her empire also included Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and large parts of Africa. During this period, Britain was largely uninvolved in European affairs, apart from the Crimean War from 1853 - 1856. Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887 and her Diamond Jubilee in 1897 were celebrated with great enthusiasm. She had witnessed a revolution in British government, huge industrial expansion and the growth of a worldwide empire.

Victoria died at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, on 22 January 1901 after a reign which lasted almost 64 years, the longest in British history. She was buried at Windsor beside Prince Albert, in the Frogmore Royal Mausoleum, which she had built for their final resting place. Above the Mausoleum door are inscribed Victoria's words: 'farewell best beloved, here at last I shall rest with thee, with thee in Christ I shall rise again'.

THE YOUNG VICTORIA The Young Victoria is a 2009 British. American period drama film directed by Jean-Marc Vallée and written by Julian Fellowes, based on the early life and reign of Queen Victoria, and her marriage to Prince Albert of Saxe. Coburg and Gotha.

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