Queen Victoria - Her Life Was that of Great Slendor and Tremendous Hardship

The life of Queen Victoria is one of great splendor and tremendous hardship. She was "a spirited young woman, of a decided independence of mind, who found herself suddenly at the helm of the most powerful empire in the world" (Auchincloss 45).

Not even a year after Victoria was born, her father, Edward Duke of Kent, took ill with a severe cold and died of complications in January of 1820. "His death marked the beginning of a different sort of life for Victoria and her family, as they became the victims of political intriguers and the animosity of the prince regent" (Shearman 18-19). The tiny baby and her mother's "vulnerability to theses forces was increased when, only six days after the death of the duke of Kent, his father King George III died. After nine years as prince regent, George IV ascended the throne (Shearman 19).

The helpless Duchess and her babe were without any support or money. The duke had died while they were staying by the sea at Sidmouth. The widow was left with only depts to repay and no money to even return home. Luckily, though, they had one protector close at hand. "The duchess's brother, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, had remained in England after the death of his beloved wife, Princess Charlotte. He took his sister and young niece under his protection" (Shearman 19).

"George IV, the new king, begrudgignly allowed his brother's family to return to Kensington Palace. However, it was Prince Leopold who supported them and paid for Victoria's education. Fully aware of the difficulties of his sister's life, he nonetheless convinced her that she and her daughter must remain in England. Victoria had to grow up as an English child, lest her claim to the throne be jeopardized" (Shearman 19-20).

Queen Victoria was "reared in a kind of coccoon of maternal supervision." The Duchess of Kent, Victoria's mother, slept in the same room as her daughter. Victoria was not even allowed to see other children her own age. She was restricted to stay behind the walls of Kensington Palace, where she was educated entirely by tutors and governesses (Auchincloss 16). Louise Lehzen was the queen's governess from the time she was very young until after she was married. Lehzen gave Victoria "total love and devotion"; she was a mentor and a mother. The governess gave Victoria strength at the beginning of her reign to separate herself from her mother's tight hold. Lehzen also guarded Victoria in her tender years and prevented the innocent queen from being crushed by the heavy influence of her mother and Conroy (Auchincloss 19).

The Duchess's plan to own Victoria was one of sheer manipulation and influence (Shearman 20). Her plan started to fall in place when the Duchess of Kent's brother, Prince Leopald lost his heir in child birth, along with his wife Princess Charlotte of Wales. This placed the small Victoria second in line to the English Throne (Shearman 38). "Victoria's childhood was overshadowed by the possibility that she might succeed to the throne; it was not a certainty, for some of her uncles might yet produce children" (Drabble 14).

Victoria was a lonely child who was carefully protected and "surrounded by threats of intrigue; maybe she was aware that she was being manipualted for the advantage of others in a political game taking place far above her head." (Drabble 14) The duchess devised a plan to share Victoria's life, power and finally, Britain (Auchincloss 17). Sir John Conroy, who was a former member of the late duke's personal staff figured that if he befriended the duchess and helped her young daughter become queen, he would be able to advance his political posistion and popularity also (Shearman 26). Together Conroy and the duchess invented a strategy for bringing up and educating Victoria. "The system, which became known as the 'Kensington System,' was designed to prevent anyone other than the duchess and captain themselves from gaining influence over the little princess" (Shearman 20). The canny couple even tried to persuade Victoria to sign a document stating that she would need a regent, even if she were of age when she succeeded the throne (Shearman 17). Victoria refused, of course, for her stubborn temper, which in her childhood compelled her to play with adult dolls instead of mother baby dolls, caused her to resist and retaliate (Drabble 14-15).

Eventually, Conroy and Victoria's mother "worked out a plan for introducing the princess to the outside world." Conroy "urged that Victoria be presented in such a way that the duchess's position as mother and repsponsible guardian would receive the most emphasis. In this way, were George IV to die before Victoria had reached 18 (the minimum age at which one could ascend the throne)," the queen's mother would be named as Victoria's regent until she came of age. The plan seemed to brigthen as, one by one,"the remaining heirs who stood between Victoria and the throne were removed, either by death, debarment, or infirmity" (Shearman 22).

Works Cited

Auchincloss, Louis. Persons of Consequence. New York: Random House, 1979.

Drabble, Margaret. For Queen and Country. New York: The Seabury Press, 1978.

Shearman, Deidre. Queen Victoria. New York: Chelsea House, 1986.

"Victoria." Compton's Multimedia Encyclopedia. CD-ROM. Compton's NewMedia. 1994.