The Life and Times of Victoria and Albert
She gave her name to an Age. He gave us a cultural heritage to be proud of. Their marriage was a true love match and her widowhood from the age of 42, a national tragedy.
Queen Victoria was our longest reigning monarch (so far). Her family life set the moral standard that is still referred to today as the ideal. Her father called her “more a pocket-sized Hercules than a pocket-sized Venus” and she had enormous energy for one so frail. She was later derided as the “Widow of Windsor” or even (as in recent film) “Mrs Brown.” Prince Albert was probably the most brilliant member of the royal family since Elizabeth I. His greatest project, the Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace. The course examines Victoria’s long life and reign and the changing role of the monarchy over that period.
I originally ran this one day course at Crayford Manor for Bexley College in December 1998 and repeated it for the City Lit on 9th February 2014.
Below is a timeline I used for the day.
I am happy to supply copies of the slides I used for anyone interested.