Queen Victoria with her granddaughter, Princess Margaret of Connaught (later Crown Princess of Sweden); April 1882.
Queen Victoria with her grandchildren, Princess Margaret (later Crown Princess of Sweden) and Prince Arthur of Connaught, November 1885.
History Meme | 1/7 Pairings: Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
On the 10th of February, 1840,at the royal chapel of St. James, in London, in the presence of all that was most distinguished, and splendid in the life of Great Britain, the marriage was solemnized. The queen, as brides generally do, looked pale and anxious. Her dress was a rich white satin, trimmed with orange blossoms, and upon her head she wore a wreath of the same beautiful flowers. Over her head, but not so as to conceal her face, a veil of honiton lace was thrown. She was sparingly decorated with diamonds. She wore, however, a pair of very large diamond ear-rings, and a diamond necklace. Her twelve bridesmaids were attired in similar taste, and they were all young ladies of remarkable beauty. Prince Albert was dressed in the uniform of a British field-marshal, and was decorated with the collar and star of the Order of the Garter. At the moment when the queen and prince advanced to the communion-table, and stood before the Archbishop of Canterbury, the scene was in the highest degree splendid and interesting. (x)
30 Day Royal Challenge, Day 11: Post a picture of your favorite royal tiara.
♔ Queen Victoria’s Sapphire Coronet.
Queen victoria’s Tiara was designed by Prince Albert as a gift in 1842 and made at a cost of £415.
It is a small flexible tiara in the Gothic taste with kite- and cushion-shaped sapphires and diamonds. The sapphires are set in gold and the diamonds in silver.
♔ The Young Victoria (2/50)
♔ The Young Victoria (1/50)
Queen Victoria witnessed many technological marvels during her sixty-four year rule of Great Britain. New inventions included the sewing machine, anaesthetic, and the light bulb. She also oversaw a vast territorial expansion with colonies that came to stretch around the globe, causing people to declare “the sun never set” on the British Empire. On the death of her husband Prince Albert in 1861, she chose to wear widow’s mourning clothes for the rest of her life. This formal gown was designed for Queen Victoria in 1897, the year of her Diamond Jubilee, celebrating sixty momentous years on the throne. It is made of somber black materials: faille and crêpe. Only a long train and scattered embellishments of silk lace and metal spangles are a concession to required royal grandeur.
Happy Victoria Day Weekend!
Victoria Day celebrates Queen Victoria’s birthday, which is May 24. While the Queen’s birthday was celebrated in Canada long before confederation, in 1901 (following her death) the day was made a federal holiday.We celebrate Queen Victoria’s birthday, and not those of other sovereigns, because Victoria was queen during confederation in 1867. She is referred to as the “Mother of Confederation”.
Have a great long weekend and stay safe!
Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent (later Queen Victoria) in 1842.
By Franz Xaver Winterhalter
