How many queen victorias are there

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 of , Queen 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 expected of a modern mother. While she joyfully oversaw the bathing and bedding of Vicky, and to a lesser extent Bertie the future King Edward VII , as 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 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 high 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 on Vicky he lauded her as "very intelligent and observant" and even had one of her baby teeth crafted into a brooch for her mother , Victoria'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 his 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. However, the couple was intensely devoted to each other. After several years of suffering from stomach ailments, Victoria's beloved Albert died of typhoid fever in at the age of Victoria was devastated, sleeping with a plaster cast of his hand by her side, and went into a year seclusion. For the rest of her reign, she wore black.

Seven years her junior and many ranks below her, the queen said Brown was her dearest friend — an unthinkable relationship at the time. There were rumors that Brown and Victoria were lovers, especially after the death of Albert.

Historians have since parsed through her journals — which were edited by her daughter Beatrice — and never found evidence of an affair. But one thing is clear: She loved him. He quickly impressed the queen with his cooking, and she asked him to teach her Urdu.

Victoria lavished Karim with gifts including a private carriage, titles and honors. She also commissioned several portraits. She became an Indophile in part because of her affection for him. Victoria died after a lengthy period of poor health on January 22, , at the age of We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives.

She celebrated 65 years on the throne in February with her Sapphire Jubilee. Elizabeth I was a long-ruling queen of England, governing with relative stability and prosperity for 44 years.

The Elizabethan era is named for her. Victoria Woodhull was a spiritualist, activist, politician and author who was the first woman to run for the presidency of the United States. Share Email Facebook Tweet. Wikimedia Commons. Caroline Gerdes. Your gift sparks a virtuous circle. Your donation makes possible the GBH programs you know and love. That programming then motivates someone else to give, funding more programs and inspiring even more people to give.

If you can right now, please consider a donation. Donate Now. Related Stories. November 7, PM. Phyllis answers the phone, and then runs through Nonnatus house to send Lucille off to a BBA born before arrival call.

November 4, PM.