Book Review of Victoria the Queen by Julia Baird, A Real Lives Book Club Selection
A portrait of Queen Victoria in 1959 as she turned 40.
Help me out here, what’s with this obsession with the lives of the royal family?
If you’ve been following (with even a smidge of interest) the latest story of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle separating from the royal family and their duties, you’re not alone. Fascination for the lives of the royals has gone on for centuries and seems to know no borders. I thought a lot about “our” collective enchantment with the goings-on of the royals as I read “Victoria the Queen” by Julia Baird. The book details the extraordinary life of the woman who ruled England more than 60 years during a period of massive change for her country and the world during the Victorian Era.
Baird’s work delves into the significant chapters of Victoria’s life, shedding new light on events and people that have long been shrouded in myth. By way of extensive research, Baird systematically moves from one significant milestone to another, weaving historical information together to suss out a richer and more human view of the woman who ruled an Empire.
A SIGNIFICANT HISTORICAL FIGURE
There is no dispute that Queen Victoria is a significant historical figure in European history as well as in the rest of the world. During her reign, the British Empire reached across continents and countries, influencing and usurping power in parts of Asia, Oceania, South America and Africa.
What makes her story particularly compelling is the precarious series of events which made her rule possible. Born in 1819, Victoria was fifth in line to inherit the throne, and only two years later moved to third position. However, the male heirs in place before Victoria continued their lives without producing heirs, meaning that by the time Victoria was 16, she was the heir apparent.
Raised in the distorted world of a strict upbringing created by her mother the Duchess of Kent and aided by John Conroy (Victoria’s mother’s comptroller), Victoria was often lonely. The Duchess and Conroy teamed in an effort to bully the strong-willed princess into signing away her powers should she become queen so that the Duchess (and Conroy) would be in control as regents. However, Victoria resisted their efforts, and shortly after turning 18 in 1837 she became the Queen of England.
Victoria’s deep desire for autonomy as a young Queen was soon overshadowed by her infatuation turned adoration for her cousin Prince Albert. By 1840, they wed and together co-ruled while also growing their family of nine children.
After twenty years of marriage Prince Albert died, and for the remainder of her life Queen Victoria was entrenched in an epic grief. Victoria’s mourning was so pervasive that she did not go out in public for years and demanded the observance of unusual rituals such as requiring servants to lay out clothes for Albert each day until her death. She also slept with a cast mold of Albert’s hands by her side, and regularly engaged her children to pose for funeral reenactment photographs for years.
There are other interesting chapters in the book which feature Victoria’s relationships with the many Prime Ministers she dealt with during her rule. And there is an extensive review of Victoria’s relationship with Scotsman John Brown, who was both servant and confidant in later years.
Throughout, Baird provides information that demystifies the woman behind the Queen. I still found myself frustrated with the contradictions (judging a 19th century queen as a woman of the 21st century) including her take on women, who in that era largely had no control over their destinies. Victoria was a product of her time with ideals in keeping with the mores of the day, yet she possessed a unique position of power as a woman. Somehow, she didn’t equate her desires to be of purpose and have control with those of other woman—her subjects—which I found frustrating.
THREE HISTORICAL ASPECTS THAT SURPRISED ME
“Victoria the Queen” is an extensive but well written tome comprised of 696 pages in the hardcover version (okay, the last 200 are made up of notes, the bibliography and index, but still…) so our book group, The Real Lives Book Club, elected to read it over two months.
Throughout Baird’s telling, she references Victoria’s journals. The Queen journaled extensively of her experiences and thoughts throughout her life. However, upon her death she bequeathed her daughter Beatrice to protect her legacy by editing these journals, which she did extensively by removing anything she thought would put her mother in a bad light. It is a palpable reminder that history is crafted by those who are left to tell it. In this case, our version of Victoria is one that is shaped by what Beatrice permitted to remain of her mother’s writings.
But with the use of the what remains of the journals and other resources, Baird pieces together insights not only of Victoria but the Victorian Era. I found a few topics particularly surprising:
Daily life was brutal during the Victorian Era: The industrial revolution took off in the mid-1800s. There were more jobs available beyond agriculture but working conditions were terrible, and especially so for children. The book describes wretched details of children being tethered by chains to coal bins, for example, to rummage for coal in the mines, and young girls drawing coal carts along passageways too narrow for grown men. These girls often worked stripped to the waist and where subjected to rape and sexual assault.
In addition to horrific working conditions, the average citizen had no voice in their political system. Only landowners and the wealthy were afforded a vote.
Colonization is terrible: As if I needed more reminders of the atrocities associated with colonization, “Victoria the Queen” highlights several examples of it, most notably in India where there was a long struggle between the British Empire and the Indians. In each example, nonetheless, colonization was about the arrogance and greed of the usurpers (Europeans) who acted as though it was their “right” to move in and take over lands and people as a vehicle for procuring resources. During Victoria’s reign, the British Empire expanded across the globe and became a world superpower.
Filth and squalor during Victorian times: Between 1830 and 1860, raw sewage was habitually dumped into the River Thames. As a primary source of water, this posed a health hazard for many but was especially problematic for Londoners because the river winds through the city. Residents swooned from the stench and many people died from a particularly notable outbreak of cholera due to unsanitary practices and a filthy river. There was no understanding of germs or the importance of hygiene.
Florence Nightingale emerged on the scene during this time, and even though she was a mere woman, she managed to aid in improving health care conditions for the citizens of Britain. Nightingale organized sanitation systems and improved cleanliness, and also professionalized the practice of nursing.
ROYAL FASCINATION
Throughout the book there is this constant struggle between the Government and Victoria to rule over the people of Great Britain. Remarkably, even though Victoria’s authority was contained by the politicians of Parliament, she managed to wield influence and was beloved by her subjects.
It was that concept of adoration for a Queen that I struggled most to fathom. I thought, maybe it’s because I’m American and don’t understand the British system of government, but then I took a broader view of our need to revere certain members of humanity in the first place.
In the case of the Royals, they represent a line of those born into a family of royalty. Queen Elizabeth is an extension of this line that prevails today, hence making her grandson Harry and wife Meghan of interest.
The Royals represent history, tradition and the perseverance of humanity. Perhaps, in that way, they are a placeholder for human aspiration and hope.
Baird’s book is a study into the life of Queen Victoria and the intricacies of the royal family. Even though there are fascinating episodes and peculiarities of Victoria’s story, she is revealed as a woman with struggles, too. In an effort to understand ourselves today, we look to history to find inspiration and lessons. Perhaps the biggest takeaway for me from “Queen Victoria” is that, no matter how revered we place some of the humans of our world, we are all human after all.
Want a little inspiration to keep you motivated? Check out this T.
Alexandra and Sherry, 2016
Sherry is the founder of Storied Gifts a personal publishing service of family and company histories. She and her team help clients curate and craft their stories into books. When not writing or interviewing, Sherry spends loads of time with her grandchildren and lives in Des Moines, Iowa.
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