Alexandrina Victoria Hanover (1819 - 1901)

Born 24 May 1819 in Kensington Palace, Kensington, Middlesex, England

Ancestors

Wife of Franz Albrecht August Karl Emmanuel (Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha) Saxe-Coburg-Gotha — married 10 Feb 1840 in St James's Palace, Westminster, Middlesex, England

Descendants

Died 22 Jan 1901 at age 81 in Osborne House, near Cowes, Isle of Wight, Hampshire, England

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Biography

Victoria Hanover is a member of the House of Hanover.

Queen Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901.
On 1 May 1876 she was created Empress of India.
She was the last British monarch from the House of Hanover. ^[1]

Young Victoria

Born 24 May 1819 at Kensington Palace in London, Victoria was the only child of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, and his wife, Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. She had two half-siblings, Carl and Feodore from her mother's first marriage to Prince Emich Carl (Leiningen) zu Leiningen (1763-1814). ^[1] Feodore was a close companion. Her father died when Victoria was only 8 months old, leaving her to be shaped in the care of her mother and governess. ^[1]

Victoria was baptised on 24 June 1819 at Kensington Palace by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The baptism was officially reported in the London Gazette of 26 June 1819. ^[2]

Not long after turning 12, Victoria began a detailed and highly characteristic journal that she kept throughout her life.^[1] She also enjoyed drawing and painting, which she did throughout her life.^[1]

Victoria was known for her feisty character, lively nature, and her short stature.^[1] She stood only 4 feet 11 inches tall as an adult.^[1]

Queen Victoria

Despite being fifth in line when she was born, Victoria inherited the throne at age 18, after her father's three older brothers had died with no legitimate surviving children.^[1]

The early years of Victoria's reign were influenced by Lord Melbourne, who was the prime minister at the time, and later became a dear friend as well as political adviser.^[1]

Queen Victoria's reign oversaw major progress through the United Kingdom, notably the rail system and London Underground, as well as in other areas of science and industry, including the sewer system.^[1]

The United Kingdom under Victoria doubled in size, adding Canada, Australia, India, countries in Africa, and in the South Pacific.^[1]

Wife and Mother

Victoria married her cousin, Prince Albert, son of her mother's brother, in 1840.^[3] Because she was queen, Albert was not permitted to propose to her, so she was the one to do so on October 15th, 1839.^[1] His German heritage made him a difficult adjustment with her subjects, but they eventually accepted him as they saw her love and devotion to him as well as his devotion to their country.^[1] Despite passionately disagreeing on many subjects, they two were wholly devoted to each other and Albert's early death would shape Victoria's image and reign in a way neither would have anticipated.^[1] Following his death from typhoid fever, Victoria went into a 25-year mourning period, noted by her black attire throughout those years.^[1]

Albert and Victoria had nine children together, despite the fact that Victoria hated being pregnant and feared childbirth.^[1] She loved her children dearly once they arrived, though, and was a devoted mother.^[1] Their children's marriages and their children united a large portion of European ruling families together through marriage.^[1]

See Victoria, Albert, their family and the Royal Household through the 1841, 1851, and 1861 censuses here. ^{[4] [5] [6]}

Later Years

Once Queen Victoria was able to emerge from the grief of her loss of Albert, she found a dear friend in John Brown.^[1] Many have made assumptions about the relationship, and there are some murky waters left from her daughter Beatrice destroying some of her journals which likely pointed to a more intimate relationship than the public was allowed to know about, but there is no doubt she valued her relationship with John and he with her.^[1] She called her Scottish companion her "dearest friend" while others referred to him as the "Queen's Stallion."^[1]

Legacy

Queen Victoria died on 22 January 1901, at the age of 81, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. ^[7] Her body lay in state at Osborne House, Isle of Wight from Tuesday January 22nd to Friday February 1st. Her body was then conveyed by gun carriage; she had requested a military-style funeral, which took place on Saturday 2 February at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. ^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21} Biography Editors, "Queen Victoria", on Biography.com. Accessed 10 May 2018
2. ↑ Baptism: "The London Gazette", Publication date: 26 June 1819, Issue:17489, Page:1109 London Gazette
   Kensington- Palace, June 24, 1819.
   The ceremony of the Baptism of Princess  Alexandrina Victoria, daughter of His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, and of Her Royal Highness the Dutchess of Kent, Dutchess of Saxe Cobourg Saalfeld, his wife, was performed this day privately at Kensington-Palace, by His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, in the presence of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent; their Reyal Highnesses the Duke and Dutchess of York; the Princess Augusta; the Duke and Dutchess of Gloucester; the Princess Sophia Matilda; the Prince Leopold of Saxe Cobourg; Her Serene Highness the Princess Feodore of Leiningen; the Lord Bishop of London; Major-General the Right Honourable Sir Benjamin Bloomfield, K.C.B; and the suite of the respective royal personages above named. 
   The Sponsors for the young Princess were His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, who was graciously pleased to stand in person; His Impevial Majesty the Emperor of Russia, represented by His Royal Highness the Duke of York; Her Majesty the Queen Dowager of Wirtemberg, re- presented by Her Royal Highness the Princess Augusta; and Her Serene Highness the Dutchess Dowager of Saxe Cobourg Saalfeld, represented by Her Royal Highness the Dutchess of Gloucester.
3. ↑ Marriage: London Gazette
4. ↑ 1841 Census: "1841 England Census"
   Class: HO107; Piece: 740; Book: 9; Civil Parish: St Martin in The Fields; County: Middlesex; Enumeration District: Buckingham Palace; Folio: 3; Page: 1; Line: 1; GSU roll: 438840
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 8978 #8239036 (accessed 23 April 2024)
   Queen The Queen (20) in St Martin in The Fields in St Martin in the Fields registration district in Middlesex, England. Born in Kensington Palace, Middlesex, England.
5. ↑ 1851 Census: "1851 England Census"
   Class: HO107; Piece: 1478; Folio: 645; Page: 19; GSU roll: 87801; ED, institution, or vessel: 02; Household schedule number: 1
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 8860 #12026 (accessed 23 April 2024)
   H R H Francis Albert Augustus Charles Emanuel (31) head of household in St George Hanover Square registration district in Middlesex, England.
6. ↑ 1861 Census: "1861 England Census"
   Class: Rg 9; Piece: 653; Folio: 48; Page: 1; GSU roll: 542679; ED, institution, or vessel: 12a; Household schedule number: 1
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 8767 #7925619 (accessed 23 April 2024)
   Victoria R (41) head of household in Whippingham in Isle of Wight registration district in Hampshire, England. Born in Kensington, Middlesex, England.
7. ↑ Death:London Gazette
8. ↑ Funeral:London Gazette

See also:

• Queen Victoria on Wikipedia
• The New Encyclopaedia Britannica
• Queen Victoria on Find A Grave: Memorial #1442 Retrieved 4 Sep 2016.
• Wikidata: Item Q9439
• 'Jane Austen's Family through Five Generations' by Maggie Lane, published by Robert Hale Limited, London. ISBN 0 7090 4832 7. Includes extensive family trees. Details of contemporaries and other connections are also mentioned in the text.Jane Austen's Family through Five Generations