The Victorian Monarchy: Roles and Images Lecture 1 - Over 100 f i lms/TV made about Victoria -Firstfeaturefilm(1937)VictoriatheGreat - Victoria has constantly been updated - Prince Albert and Victoria at the Bal Costume - Edwin Landseer, extravagant colours, detailed embroidery. Albert is a step below, looking up to her higher social status, de- spite Albert having higher gender status. Portray the monarchy and something stable, a feature of social, economic, political life. Stable period of history. - Monarchy linked to past, symbol of socially secure country. - Speed of change, political and industrial upheaval. - Queen by chance, legitimate of f spring was Charlotte form George IV, did of childbirth, so succeeded by William IV, no legitimate of f spring again, younger brother Edward Duke of Kent. - 18 when succeeds to the throne, becomes Victoria in the 30's. - Stern, moralising period due to the her presentation as an old, widow. - Historians are beginning to concern themselves with the younger, more youthful Victoria. - Richard Lane, Victoria (1837), 'English Rose', blossoming, pure, beautiful, fertile, desir- able because of this. - Coronation, 1838, scaled back. Presented as a change of the past. - Younger photos are just as important, Henry Tamworth Wells, Victoria receiving news of her accession (1881). Bathed in sunlight, calmness, poise, presented as a girl, as op- posed to a mature woman. Young, innocent queen. - Girlhood presented a something to aspire to for young girls, devotion to goodness. - 'Small and girlish mind', Tories worried about the alliance with the Liberals, Lord Mel- bourne PM. Concerned about the female monarchy. - Concerned about feminisations and domestication of the monarchy. - Ruskin - 'no more housewives but queens', issue of the royal body. - Concerns with Albert's income, status, nationality - Prince, not King, Victoria's inferior. - Windsor Castle in Modern Times (1842-5), presented as a normal middle class family, children, pets, loving couple, presented as a wife, rather than queen. - Notion of Royal Family on the throne (Franz Winterhalter - 1846) prosperous, loving, companioned family, focussed around domesticity instead of indulgence. - Performed civic role of monarchy, touring the kingdom. Albert became a patron of the arts, science, technology, agriculture, industry. Modern husband, constitutional monarch. Redesigned Osborne House, Isle of Wight. - 1851 - Exhibition, President, presenting Britain as forward looking, peaceful, prosperous country. Belief in progress, science, industry. - Dies of typhoid fever in December 1861. - Mourning, seclusion, own mother died in March of same year.
- Involves mummif i cation of Albert, left his room the way it was. Memorials appear of Al- bert. - Wedding of Albert, 1863, the couple had to pose around the memorials of Albert. - Doesn't appear in public until October 1863. - Queen increasingly becoming unpopular. Republicanism made comeback in 1790's, Tom Payne, wrote ebook on justice and liberty. By 1800, believed monarchy would've gone. - Victoria's criticised for her seclusion. Rumours begin to circulate, with closeness to John Brown. Pamphlet in 1871 - 'Brown