photographsAlAmy, BettmAnn Archive, Getty imAGes, itvroyal insight
92 woman&home it’s All ABout you!
✢Victoriahada wonderfulsexual
relationshipwithprincealbert.“I could
gomadfromthedesireandlonging,”she
wrote,inherlonelinessafterhisdeath.
✢Followingthebirthofhernine
children,Victoriasuffereda stomach
hernia,whichmadeit painfulforher
toweara corset. thatpartlyexplains
whyshelooksrotundinphotographs.
✢Contrarytoexpectation,Victoria
wasusually“verymuchamused”
and lovedfun,friends,music,theatre,
dancing,operaandparties.
✢Victoriaoncewrotethatshehad
“thegreatesthorrorofhaving
childrenandwouldratherhavenone”.
albertwasconcerned,tellinghiswife
ina letter,“thetroubleliesinthe
mistakennotionthefunctionofa
motheris tobealwayscorrecting,
scoldingandorderingthemabout.”
✢shehada rockyrelationshipwithher
eldestsonBertie.“handsomeI cannot
thinkhim,”shesaid.andhislaziness
was“enoughtobreakone’sheart.”
✢Unlikeprudishalbert,Victoria
enjoyeda drink.shehadherclaret
“strengthened”withwhiskyandwasn’t
aversetopainkillingdrugseither. she
oncedescribedtheeffects
ofchloroform,which
sheusedduringlabour,
as“delightfulbeyond
measure”. w&h
QueenVictoriabyLucy
Worsley(Hodder,£10.99)
is out on 16 Mayhatedtheideaofhavingchildrenand
thoughtthata babywas“averynasty
object”.shewasanearlyadopterof
allthemedicalhelpshecouldget.in
1853,shehadthephysicianJohnsnow
administera fewdropsofchloroform
toeaseherlabourwithherseventh
child,leopold.manywomenwould
cometothankherfordemonstrating
thatpainreliefcouldbesafe.The woman
whobecame Queen
“Apoorwoman,”victoriawrote,is “bodily
andmorallythehusband’sslave.”
victoriangenderrolemodelsmeant
thatshehadtohandAlbertmuch
ofherpower.Butafterhedied,she
begantoregainherconfidencetorule
alone. “WhilethePrinceconsortlived,
hethoughtforme,”sheadmitted.“now
i havetothinkformyself.”Whileshe
alwaysbelievedthata queenmust
beinferiortoa king,herownlongand
successfulreignshowedotherwise.The poliTician
whoplayedthe people...
victoriawasdeeplysociallyconservative,
andnoteventhatkeenondemocracy.
sheoncecomplainedaboutlosinga
favouredPrimeminister,“merelyon
accountofthenumberofvotes.”But
shehada stronginstinctforpopulism.
sheknewjustwhattosay,whattowear,
orhowtobephotographedtoplease
hersubjects,andunlikeothereuropean
nationsin the19thcentury,theydid
not overthrow their monarchy.The widow
whowent public...
victoriaasa widowwasexpectedto
shrinkawayfrompubliclifeandshe
didsofora decadeafterAlbert’sdeath.
shethenrecoveredsomethingofher
spiritandbecamebetterknownthan
everbypublishingbestsellingbooks
aboutherlife.hercourtiersfoundthis
troublingandtriedtodiscredither by
sayingthatshe’dgonemad.The friend who
broke withprotocol...
inherlateryears,victoriaformedclose
relationshipswithtwoofherintimate
servants:herscottishattendantJohn
Brown,andthenherindianurdu
teacherAbdulKarim.inbothcases,
thegreatandthegoodthoughtit was
mostinappropriate. ButbothBrown
andKarimsupportedherconstantly,
andperhapsmoregenerouslythan
the husband who’d often belittled her.Above:theroyal
Familyin 1846
Farleft:Judi
Denchplays
theQueenin
Victoria& Abdul
Left:Victoria
withherloyal
manservantJohn
Brown in 1863V i c t o r i a’ ssecrets