FREE THE MYSTERY OF PRINCESS LOUISE: QUEEN VICTORIAS REBELLIOUS DAUGHTER PDF

Lucinda Hawksley | 400 pages | 20 Nov 2014 | Vintage Publishing | 9781845951542 | English | London, United Kingdom Did Princess Diana Always Want a Daughter?

Because her reign spanned so much of the 19th century and her nation dominated world affairs during that time, her name came to be associated with the period. The woman for whom the Victorian Era was named was not necessarily the stern and remote figure we assume we know. Here are six major pieces of trivia about the woman who ruled Britain, and an empire that spanned much of the world, for six decades. Victoria's grandfather, King George III, had 15 children, but his three eldest sons produced no heir to the throne. His fourth son, the Duke of Kent, Edward Augustus, married a German noblewoman expressly to produce an heir to the British throne. A baby girl, Alexandrina Victoria, was born May 24, When she was only eight months old, her father died, and she was raised by her mother. The household staff included a German governess and a variety of tutors, and Victoria's first language as a child was German. He was known for a scandalous lifestyle, and his heavy drinking contributed to him becoming obese. When he died inhis younger brother became King William IV. He had The Mystery of Princess Louise: Queen Victorias Rebellious Daughter as an officer in the Royal Navy, and his seven-year reign was more respectable than his brother's had been. Victoria had just turned 18 when her uncle died inand she became queen. Most observers of the British monarchy expected her to be a weak ruler or even an interim figure soon to be forgotten by history. It was even conceivable that she would put the monarch on a trajectory toward irrelevance, or perhaps that she The Mystery of Princess Louise: Queen Victorias Rebellious Daughter be the last British monarch. Surprising all skeptics, Victoria she chose not to use her first name, Alexandrina, as queen was surprisingly strong-willed. She was put in a very difficult position and rose to it, using her intelligence to master the intricacies of statecraft. Thanks in part to Albert's fascination with everything new, the The Mystery of Princess Louise: Queen Victorias Rebellious Daughter became very interested in technological advances. In the early s, when train travel was in its infancy, Victoria expressed interest in taking a trip by rail. The palace contacted the The Mystery of Princess Louise: Queen Victorias Rebellious Daughter Western Railway, and on June 13,she became the first British monarch to travel by train. Queen Victoria opened the exhibition on May 1,and returned a number of times with her children to view the exhibits. She also became a fan of photography. Fenton would later become known for photographing the Crimean Warwhich were considered the very first war photographs. Even after the death of Prince Albert inshe retained her interest in technology. She firmly believed that Britain's role as a great nation depended on scientific advances and the intelligent use of emerging technology. When Victoria ascended to the throne as a teenager in the late s, no one could have anticipated that she would rule Britain throughout the rest of the 19th century. When she died on Jan. Victoria's longevity on the throne was generally considered a record that would never be broken. However, her time was on the throne, 63 years and days, was surpassed by Queen Elizabeth II on Sept. Queen Victoria also enjoyed writing, and wrote daily entries in a diary. Her daily journals eventually spanned more than volumes. Victoria also wrote two books about travels in the Scottish Highlands. Benjamin Disraeliwho had been a novelist before becoming prime minister, would at times flatter the queen by making references to them both being authors. She began drawing as a child, and continued to sketch and paint throughout her life. In addition to keeping a diary, she produced drawings and watercolors to record things she had seen. The image we often have of Queen Victoria is of a humorless woman dressed in black. That is because she was widowed at a fairly young age: Prince Albert, died in when he and Victoria were both 42 years old. For the rest of her life, nearly 50 years, Victoria dressed in black in public. She was determined to never show any emotion in public appearances. The Mystery of Princess Louise: Queen Victorias Rebellious Daughter in her earlier life Victoria was known as a vivacious girl, and as a young queen, she was extremely sociable. She also loved being entertained. In her later life, despite a stern public demeanor, Victoria was said to enjoy rustic entertainments such as Scottish music and dancing during her periodic visits The Mystery of Princess Louise: Queen Victorias Rebellious Daughter the Highlands. And there were rumors that she was very affectionate to her Scottish servant, John Brown. President The Mystery of Princess Louise: Queen Victorias Rebellious Daughter was often photographed at the massive desk, which, many Americans would be surprised to learn, was a gift from Queen Victoria. It was made from oak timbers of HMS Resolute, a ship of the Royal Navy which had been abandoned when it became locked in ice during an Arctic expedition. The Resolute broke free from the ice, was spotted by an American ship, and was towed to the U. The ship was lovingly restored to pristine condition at the Brooklyn Navy Yard as a gesture of goodwill from the United States Navy. Queen Victoria visited the Resolute when it was sailed back to England by an American crew. She was apparently deeply touched by the gesture of the Americans having returned the ship, and seemed to have cherished the memory. Decades later, when the Resolute was broken up, she directed that timbers from it be saved and crafted into an ornate desk. As a surprise gift, the desk was delivered to the White House induring the administration of Rutherford B. The Resolute Desk has been used by a number of presidents since, becoming particularly famous when used by President John F. Share Flipboard Email. Robert McNamara. History Expert. Robert J. McNamara is a history expert and former magazine journalist. He was Amazon. Updated August 14, ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our. Queen Victoria's Relationship With Her Children - How Many Kids Did Victoria Have? In the century since her death, Queen Victoria's mystique has only grown. And while the iconic Queen has become known for many thingsperhaps one of her mostly hotly debated roles was that of mother. As the central The Mystery of Princess Louise: Queen Victorias Rebellious Daughter in one of the greatest love stories—and tragedies—of her time, who went on to become the most famous single mother in the world, much has been made of Victoria's reputation as a parent. Some historians have speculated that she was disengaged, resentful, and even disgusted by her children, while others have argued that time, editing, and Victoria's own frankness painted an unrealistic picture of the so-called Grandmother of Europe. But what was Victoria really like as a mom? Though the young Queen is quoted as saying she had "the greatest horror of having children and would rather have none," Princess Victoria, better known as Vicky, was born just over nine months after Queen Victoria's wedding to Albert in Remarkably for the time, all of the children lived to adulthood. There are a number of aspects of motherhood Victoria was openly displeased by. Above all, she loathed pregnancy, describing the experience in letters to her daughter as one of "being like a dog or a cow. Certainly she suffered, not only with the physical effects of childbearing, but also with psychological ones. Noting what the modern era would recognize as postpartum depression after several of her births, she warned her daughter of, "lowness and a tendency to cry In later years, she would refer to pregnancy and maternity as "an unhappy condition" and "the shadow side" of life. In addition to the physical discomforts of gestation, each pregnancy took Victoria away from her role as monarch, a fact she detested. Though she continued to work on state business throughout portions of her pregnancies, both the conventions of the time and the demands of motherhood forced her to hand over many responsibilities to Albert as her regent during these periods. It was no moderate amount of time either—between the birth of her first child in November of and the birth of her fourth in August ofQueen Victoria spent only 17 pregnancy-free months in which she was able to freely rule. The Queen was undeniably fond of her children, though her involvement with them was significantly less than might be The Mystery of Princess Louise: Queen Victorias Rebellious Daughter of a modern mother. While she joyfully oversaw the bathing and bedding of Vicky, and to a lesser extent Bertie the future King Edward VIIas her family grew, she spent less time directly overseeing the care of her kids, admitting in later letters to Vicky that she would only check in on them directly once every three months. It is not possible to be on happy friendly terms with people you have just been scolding," Albert wrote to Victoria on her parenting. That said, Albert's participation in raising his children was frequently remarked upon—he was not only present for all of their births, an oddity for The Mystery of Princess Louise: Queen Victorias Rebellious Daughter time period, he also took an active role in their clothing, care, and education: calling for seven hours of rigorous study, seven days a week for his sons a step down from the nine hours of study he'd prescribed himself at age Albert imagined their large family as an example of the excellence that the European monarchies could stand for. His involvement wasn't without its pitfalls, though, particularly for young Bertie and Alfred, who were subjected to corporal punishment when they failed to achieve the The Mystery of Princess Louise: Queen Victorias Rebellious Daughter standards their father had set. Vicky was widely considered Albert's favorite child, but there is no doubt that the Princess Royal held a special place in both of her parents' hearts. Born three weeks early, Vicky's poor health as a baby caused some of the first major friction between the couple, who disagreed of the best way to care for her. Despite her weakened start and the general disappointment that she had failed to be a male heir "Never mind," Victoria said after Vicky's birth, "the next will be a Prince. Though Queen Victoria appeared to be, in some respects, jealous of Albert's doting The Mystery of Princess Louise: Queen Victorias Rebellious Daughter Vicky he lauded her as "very intelligent and observant" and even had one of her baby teeth crafted into a brooch for her motherVictoria's eldest child, remained one of her closest confidants throughout her life. The two shared letters regularly and sometimes even daily after Vicky's marriage to Frederick II took her to Germany to become the Empress and some of the most telling insights about her personal life come from this correspondence. The two died in the same year, with Vicky outliving her mother by just over six months. Whether Victoria wanted children or not, it was never in doubt that she would be obliged to have some, with a male heir being of paramount importance. However, Bertie wasn't precisely the heir his parents envisioned. He had inherited his mother's willfulness and was far from the logical academic Albert had hoped to raise as the future king of England. In fact, it wasn't until he was ten that Bertie came to realize that it was he, and not The Mystery of Princess Louise: Queen Victorias Rebellious Daughter more clever and beloved sister Vicky, who was set to inherit the throne. His mother complained of his "systematic idleness and laziness," which she deemed "enough to break one's heart. The true disappointment would come in another form, though, that of an actress named Nellie Clifton, with whom Bertie had a brief dalliance the first of many scandalous love affairs that would in the future king's life. Upon learning of the romance, Albert became enraged, railing against his son for what he saw as a weakness of character and for bringing shame to the family. When Albert died just weeks after the confrontation, Victoria placed the blame for his sudden turn on Bertie. That boy I never can or shall look at him without a shudder," she wrote. On her decision to send Bertie away on a trip abroad which Albert had planned to complete his education, she added that, "Many wish to shake my resolution and to keep him here," but that to do so would "force a contact that is more than ever unbearable to me. Though Victoria did continue to see Bertie throughout the rest of her life and allowed him to represent her at official events in her later years, Victoria never truly forgave him, and he was not allowed any political power or station until he became king The Mystery of Princess Louise: Queen Victorias Rebellious Daughter his mother's death, having spent 59 years as the heir apparent. If Vicky was Albert's favorite, then Beatrice was Victoria's. The youngest of Victoria and Albert's brood, she was beautiful and precocious in her youth. But after Albert's passing, Beatrice became the vehicle for Victoria's focus, doting on her but also demanding all of her time and attention. Even in the royal family, the youngest daughter was expected to hold to the traditions of the time and give up on marriage to spend her life as a caregiver and companion for her parents. By the time Beatrice came of age, Victoria dreaded the idea of her daughter leaving her so much she forbade the mention of weddings in Beatrice's presence and the young Princess became increasingly withdrawn and isolated. It came as a particular blow to the Queen, then, when at the age of 27 Beatrice fell in love with Prince Henry, the third son of Alexander The Mystery of Princess Louise: Queen Victorias Rebellious Daughter Battenberg. The couple met at the wedding of one of Victoria's nieces and were swiftly engaged—without asking Victoria's permission beforehand. Victoria considered the entire affair a great deception and, according to Beatrice, did not speak to her youngest daughter from May of when the engagement was announced, to November of that year. And remain at her side Beatrice did—after Henry died of malaria on a mission with the army in Africa ten years into their marriage, Beatrice further devoted herself to her mother, spending the remaining years of Victoria's life as her mother's unofficial secretary. Victoria was an enormously prolific writer of letters and diaries—she's said to have written over 2, words a day for the entirety of her adult life— and many of the Queen's decidedly unsaccharine sentiments about motherhood come directly from her own hand. Critics often point to Victoria's seemingly all-consuming affection for Albert and her laments that their children failed to console her in his absence. I only feel properly a mon aise and quite happy when Albert is with me. However, many of her most famous quotes on motherhood came well into her career as a mother, long past the blush of her children's babyhood when she would remark upon them with delight in her diaries. In a missive to Vicky, who was preparing for her own children she wrote"I am no admirer of babies generally — there are exceptions — for instance your sisters Alice, and Beatrice were very pretty from the very first — yourself also-rather so — Arthur too Bertie and Leopold — too frightful. In another she expanded, "Abstractedly, I have no tender for [babies] till they have become a little human; an ugly baby is a very nasty object — and the prettiest is frightful when undressed. Until about 4 months; in short as long as they have their big body and little limbs and that terrible froglike action. However she also added, "You are wrong in thinking that I am not fond of children. I am," explaining that her trouble with children came largely from the noise a group of children can make. For a women who demanded silence and austerity in her house, no doubt the cacophony of her nine children The Mystery of Princess Louise: Queen Victorias Rebellious Daughter 42 grandchildren was at times overwhelming. It's of note that many of the most common quotes used to show Victoria's lack of maternal feeling come from a compendium of her official letters, edited by Baron Esher and Arthur Benson at the behest of Bertie—by then King Edward VII. These letters, in which the Queen extolled her delight in her children to friends like Maria II of Portugal, were filled with personal and so-called feminine concerns about the love for and raising of children as well as the women's fears about the dangers of childbirth, all of which Benson reportedly found "very tiresome. The Scene. Type keyword s to search. Heritage Images Getty Images. Kean Collection Getty Images. Print Collector Getty Images. Downey Getty Images. UniversalImagesGroup Getty The Mystery of Princess Louise: Queen Victorias Rebellious Daughter. Princess Beatrice in the late 19th century. Queen Victoria with two of her granddaughters. Bettmann Getty Images. Shop Now. Victoria: A Novel by Daisy Goodwin. We Two by Gillian Gill. Becoming Queen Victoria by Kate Williams. Related Stories. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below. More From Royal Family News. Who Is Princess Eugenie, Queen Elizabeth's Granddaughter? - 5 Facts About Princess Eugenie of York

Princess Margaret gained a reputation as being the gorgeous albeit rebellious daughter in the royal family. Growing up as the younger sister of Elizabeth, Margaret was destined to take a back seat in the monarchy. Despite living in the shadow of Her Majesty, Margret managed to captivate citizens around the world with her outgoing personality, though her romance with Townsend created the most controversy in her life. Townsend, who was married at the time, eventually worked under Elizabeth as well. InTownsend got a divorce and subsequently asked Margaret to marry him. Unfortunately, there were several hurdles that made it impossible for Elizabeth to agree to the marriage. According to ExpressElizabeth had no choice but to tell Margaret that she could marry Townsend but only if she gave up her position in the royal family. If Margaret married Townsend, she would have given up her titles, her residence at Kensington Palaceand her yearly income. At the end of the day, Margaret chose the royal family over love, which created a lasting resentment between her and Elizabeth. In her official statement inMargaret let the public know that she decided against marrying Townsend because of her duty to the country. Her romance with Townsend aside, Margaret faced plenty of scandals over the years. Margaret was The Mystery of Princess Louise: Queen Victorias Rebellious Daughter criticized for her spending habits, including her lavish wedding and honeymoon, expensive restorations of Kensington Palace, and a lengthy visit to the United States. She also enjoyed a trip to the Caribbean when her baby was only eight weeks old and stopped vacationing in the UK altogether. One of her biggest scandals was when photographers caught her getting cozy with a young man when she was still a married woman. Despite their failed romance, Townsend and Margaret continued to communicate until his death in In fact, Margaret invited Townsend to lunch in and the pair enjoyed a meal together with several other friends. While Margaret received heavy criticism over the course of her life, she had no regrets about her The Mystery of Princess Louise: Queen Victorias Rebellious Daughter as the black sheep of the family. Margaret would not live that much longer; she would predecease The Queen Mother by just seven weeks pic. Although Margaret may have resented her older sister, The Mystery of Princess Louise: Queen Victorias Rebellious Daughter was still close with Elizabeth her entire life. In her final years, Margaret slowly stepped out of the public eye and seemed content with how everything turned out. Queen Elizabeth has not commented on the recent documentary about her younger sister.