bowiiez's Blog

Queen Victoria (1819-1901)

March 23, 2008

Queen Victoria aged 24 (as a young woman)

Victoria was the daughter of Edward, the Duke of Kent and Princess Victoria of Saxe Coburg.

She was born in Kensington Palace in London on May 24th, 1819. Edward died when Victoria was but eight months old, upon which her mother enacted a strict regime that shunned the courts of Victoria's uncles, George IV and William IV.

Victoria became Queen at age eighteen, but her first years as Regent were under the guidance of the Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne. By 1850 she had exerted her own control and vision, which came to define the next fifty years in Great Britain as the "Victorian Era". She was given the title of Empress of India in 1876. Her reign was the longest of any British monarch and coincided with the Industrial Revolution during which the British Empire reached its zenith in prosperity, and world influence. She was grandmother of Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany.

On Feb 10th, 1840, only three years after taking the throne, Victoria took her first vow and married her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Their relationship was one of great love and admiration. Together they bore nine children - four sons and five daughters: Victoria, Bertie, Alice, Alfred, Helena, Louise, Arthur, Leopold, and Beatrice.

Prince Albert replaced Melbourne as the dominant male influence in Victoria's life. She was thoroughly devoted to him, and completely submitted to his will. Victoria did nothing without her husband's approval. Albert assisted in her royal duties. He introduced a strict decorum in court and made a point of strait-laced behaviour. Albert also gave a more conservative tinge to Victoria’s politics. If Victoria was to insistently interject her opinions and make her views felt in the cabinet, it was only because of Albert’s teachings of hard work.

The general public, however, was not enamoured with the German prince; he was excluded from holding any official political position, was never granted a title of peerage and was named Prince Consort only after seventeen years of marriage.

On Dec. 14th 1861 Albert died from typhoid fever at Windsor Castle, Victoria remained in self-imposed seclusion for ten years. This genuine, but obsessive mourning kept her occupied for the rest of her life and played an important role in the evolution of what would become the Victorian mentality.

Her popularity was at its lowest by 1870, but it steadily increased thereafter until her death. In 1887 Victoria’s Golden Jubilee was a grand national celebration of her 50th year as Queen. The Golden Jubilee brought her out of her shell, and she once again embraced public life.

Queen Victoria died on the 22nd of January 1901.

Queen, Victoria

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U know ... Austin MacDonald

March 22, 2008

Age: 12

Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

You may know me because of: Nickelodeon’s Roxy Hunter and July’s release of Kit Kittredge: An American Girl with Abigail Breslin

My house is: In Toronto. It is cozy and close to my best friend.

The first thing I do every morning is: Reset my clock for 15 minutes more of sleep.

My favorite cause is: The environment. I worry about what we are doing to the earth.

My must-visit Website is: Supercheats.com.

My favorite junk food is: Pepperoni pizza.

When I try to eat healthy, I chow on: My Aunty Sandy’s cooking — she makes a mean pot roast.

How I feel about TiVo: It is a great system to have, to go back and watch shows that I have missed.

My childhood celebrity crush was on: Hillary Duff and Shadia Simmons.

Lately I've been surprised by: How many people are irresponsible toward our environment.

The cereals in my cupboard are: Sugar Crisps and Froot Loops.

Heaven on earth is: Being in Grenada on the beach with all my family.

For dinner, I like to make: Nachos and cheese.

I’ll eat sushi, but not: Liver and onions and green beans.

My coolest article of clothing: Billabong fedora (hat).

My most prized possession: My dad’s and my 3000 GT Mitsubishi car.

When friends come over, we: Play video games, listen to music, and make home movies.

My first financial splurge was: A laptop.

Wackiest fan encounter: I am only 12, and a girl came up to me to ask me if I could marry her!

Before I die, I want to: Travel the world and help with the environment.

The best perk of being a celebrity is: Meeting so many amazing people.

When I fly I have to have: My PSP with games and movies.

People would be surprised that I: Am really shy.

Book I’m reading: Tom Clancy’s “Splinter Cell.” I love to read.

If someone gave me a million bucks tomorrow, I'd: Give it to my family and donate some to an animal shelter.