THE REAL QUEEN VICTORIA by Mahsa Shahrezaei Queen Victoria was born at Kensington Palace in London on the 24th of May 1819; she was the daughter of Edward, duke of Kent and Princess Victoire. When William IV died in 1837, Victoria ascended the throne and became Queen at the young age of 18. During the first years of her throne, Queen Victoria’s closest confidents were her governess, the German Baroness von Lehxen, and the prime minister, Lord Melbourne. Queen Victoria at a young age Queen Victoria with her family One can say that she was one of the least understood women in history and that much of the misunderstanding was created by those who admired her most; so busy representing her as a model of all the virtues that they lost sight of the real woman that she was. She was a woman with a sense of humor, she was a real woman who behind the matriarchal picture, loathed being pregnant, and made no secret of it, she was a woman that was fond of men; she linked well to them. Queen Victoria was a woman that was well ahead of her time. She got married to her cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Cobourg in 1839. Despite Victoria’s dislike of being pregnant and her fear of childbirth, she endured the process nine times and produced four sons and five daughters; representing the typical Victorian family that she much cared for. Over the marriages of her children, Victoria showed un-Victorian and un-royal compassion; she allowed them the freedom of choice on choosing their mates but strongly disapproved of princesses marrying too young. Under Queen Victoria and Prince Albert the royal family became moral, and set an example which was fallowed in society as well as among the middle classes. They both strongly disapproved of any sexual misconduct. Prince Albert had strong influence on Queen Victoria’s political views and social problems, despite the different influence that she had gotten by Melbourne. Queen Vitoria and her husband believed that they should do whatever is in their power to help European families. Queen Victoria had more of a conservative view rather than liberal. Victoria’s monarchy was more symbolic than anything else; she placed great importance on family values and morality. Victoria fashioned a new image for Britain, she introduced the idea of family monarchy. She even earned herself the nickname of “grandmother of Europe” due to her great affection and caring for the royal European families. During the reign of Queen Victoria, Britain changed from rural society to an urban society. Quite a few positive events happened during her period. She brought great changes; many political and social reforms occurred. She focused on human rights, giving more people the right to vote, saving the poor and she also set laws on children’s rights on labor and set strict laws on education, making it mandatory for all children to get a proper education. In 1861, Victoria’s beloved husband died due to a heavy cold. Queen Victoria showed more then true love for her husband. She was depressed by her husband’s death. It was accepted at the time that widows should display their grief and show signs of mourning in a way that would seem moody today; but the Queen’s reaction seemed extreme even by the standards of that age. She withdrew into complete seclusion of Britain for about 10 years. Victoria died after a short illness on the 22nd of January, 1901 at the age of eighty-one. Her death caused anxiety among all her subjects, as no one under the age of seventy could remember living under another monarch. The Queen Victoria had such a great effect on the 19th century that it has even been named after her. She has many places around the world named after her, such as two Australian states, the capitals of British Columbia, the capital of Seychelles and much more. We Canadians even have a statutory holiday called ‘Victoria Day’ to celebrate her honour.