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Queen Victoria Gracie My name is Queen Victoria. I was born on May 24, 1819 in Kensington Palace in London. My period of ruling is called the Victorian Age. I was Queen of the British Empire, which was made up of Australia, Burma, Canada, the Chinese Coast, Egypt, England, Great Britain, India, Islands in the Pacific Ocean, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland and South Africa from 1837 to 1901. My 63 years as queen was the longest time any one person ruled in British History. I changed the way people thought about the throne because people thought that the previous rulers weren’t doing enough to benefit their country. I was very helpful and, if I do say so myself, a good queen! I was the only child of Edward, Duke of Kent, and Victoria Maria Louisa of Saxe-Coburg. My father died when I was 8 months old. Mamma was very protective of me, since Father died; so protective, in fact, that I wasn’t even allowed to walk down the stairs without someone holding my hand! My teacher was Fraulein Louise Lehzen, but I called her Lehzen. I studied reading, writing, English grammar, French, German, and, of course, English royalty. I was bossed around by Mamma and Mamma’s friend John Conroy throughout my childhood. I had little contact with the outside world. My favorite dog Dash or ‘Dashy’ as I called him was my only playmate. My beloved half-sister, Feodore, moved out of Kensington Palace. That was so long ago, I don’t remember the date! My uncle George, the King, died on June 16, 1830. Then my Uncle William became king. When he was dying, he prayed that he would live until I was 18, and he did. Uncle William died on June 20, 1337, about 3 weeks after my 18th birthday. I was then crowned queen and moved to Buckingham Palace. I was queen of Great Britain, India, Egypt, the Chinese coast, Ireland, Australia, Canada, South Africa, Burma, England, and Islands in the Pacific. When I was young, I had always hated my mamma’s friend John Conroy. When I was crowned queen, I immediately informed him that he was not a member of the queen’s household. I inspired others by finally winning my battle against John Conroy. I had gained freedom at last! I married cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg on February 10, 1840 and had 9 children. I slowly gained a bigger ruling area. I became Empress of India in 1876. My reign is the longest of any British monarch. It was mostly peaceful. I improved the lives of the ordinary British citizens. I passed these acts: the 1842 Mines Act, which prevented women and children from working in the mines, the Education Act, the Public Health Act, and acts to make the work day no more than 10 hours long. The British Empire doubled in size during my reign. My husband, Prince Albert, held the great Exhibition in 1851, which highlighted the latest technology of the time period. Albert bought homes in the Isle of Wight and the Scottish Highlands because I wanted a normal house instead of Buckingham Palace. On March 16, 1861, The Duchess of Kent my Mamma died. And, tragically, later that year on December 14th, Albert died of an illness. I was so happy with him, and after he died, I dressed in black and was rarely seen by the public. On a happier note, I won the Diamond Jubilee in 1887, which is an award that you get if you have been ruling for 50 years. Also, in 1897, I won the Gold Jubilee, which you get if you have been ruling for 60 years. Lehzen my teacher to whom I treated like a mother moved out of Buckingham Palace and was constantly sending notes back and forth with me. Another loss: my favorite Prime Minister resigned, and I hired Robert Peel in his place. I died on January 22, 1901 in my house in the Isle of Wight at age 82. Except for today, I still rest peacefully in a mausoleum at Frogmore in Windsor. |
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