Queen Victoria is grandmother to the current Queen Elizabeth, and one of Britain’s most well-known monarchs. Her birthday, May 24th, was declared a holiday under the name Victoria Day in 1845. But who was Queen Victoria? Why is she credited with her own holiday? Actually, the practice of commemorating monarchs by declaring their birthday's national holidays was nothing new in England during Victoria's time. However, Queen Victoria's long reign and her popularity with her subjects was enough to earn her a holiday in her honour.
Brief Biography of Queen Victoria:
Victoria was born in London at Kensington Palace to Edward, Duke of Kent, and Victoria, princess of Saxe-Coburg. Victoria ascended to the throne in 1837 and became a well-liked and popular queen. When she was 21, three years after she was crowned, Victoria married her cousin, Prince Albert. The union proved to be a happy and harmonious one. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert loved each other dearly, and had nine children. When Albert died in 1861 of typhoid fever, Victoria fell into despair. She secluded herself for approximately 10 years at Windsor Castle. Though she lost some of the public respect during this time, she regained popularity in her later years and remained much-loved in the hearts of her subjects for the rest of her life. Victoria died at 81 from a cerebral hemorrhage on January 22nd, 1901.
Before her death, Victoria insisted that she be buried with two mementos: one of her beloved Albert's dressing gowns, as well as a piece of hair from one John Brown - a long rumoured lover of the Queen. Queen Victoria remains the most commemorated monarchs in British history.
Little Known Facts about Queen Victoria:
-She was the first known hemophiliac of the royal line, which means she could bleed heavily from even the slightest injury.
-She began the tradition of a bride wearing a white wedding dress.
-Throughout her reign a number of attempts were made on the Queen’s life - seven or eight, depending on who you ask. Either way, the Queen emerged unscathed from them all, and reigned over England for over 63 years.
-Queen Victoria was the first monarch to live at Buckingham Palace (she moved into the now iconic palace in 1837).
-She had servants lay out clean clothes for her beloved husband Albert on his bed - even forty years after his death.
-She was ranked 18th on a BBC "100 Greatest Britons" list compiled in 2002 (Queen Elizabeth I sits at #7, and Princess Diana at #3. Winston Churchill tops the list at #1).
Namesake to a Holiday and a Historical Era
It is interesting to note that, despite the fact that the queen herself played no direct role in the politics of her own country, she still emerges as one of the most prominent monarchs in British history. Indeed, her influence on the culture and society of her time is not only enshrined by the holiday created in her honour, but has also been embedded within the understanding of history itself as the Victorian era.
Sources:
Queen Victoria: A Personal History by Christopher Hibbert, De Capo Press (2001)
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