Queen Victoria and Victorian England - the young queen
The generally uneventful reign of George's brother, William IV (1830-37), was followed by that of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). Only 18 when she came to the throne, Victoria oversaw England at the height of its overseas power. The British Empire was established in her reign, and it reached its greatest expanse under her. Things did not start off smoothly, however.
The Chartist movement began in 1839 with demands for electoral reform and universal male suffrage. The movement was taken over by radical reformers and was dealt with very harshly by the authorities. The Anti Corn Law League was another voice for social reform. They advocated total free trade, but it was not until 1846 that the Corn Laws were completely repealed.
The Great Exhibition. Victoria's consort, Prince Albert, was the main backer of the 1851 Great Exhibition. This was the first "world's fair", with exhibits from most of the world's nations. The exhibition was held in Hyde Park, and the showpiece was the Crystal Palace, a prefabricated steel and glass structure like a gigantic greenhouse, which housed the exhibits. The Crystal Palace was disassembled after the Exhibition and moved to Sydenham, in south London, where it burned down in 1936. for (more, see The Great Exhibition).
The Crimean War. Overseas England became involved in the Crimean War (1854), which was notable only in that it provided evidence of military incompetence and the material for the poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade", by Alfred Tennyson. One positive that came out of the war was the establishment of more humane nursing practices under the influence of Florence Nightingale, the courageous "Lady with the Lamp".
The Indian Mutiny. A few years later (1857) saw the Indian Mutiny. India had been administered by the East India Company with government co-operation. The spark for the Mutiny was provided when the army introduced new rifle cartridges which were rumoured to have been greased with lard. Any Hindu who bit off the end of the cartridge, which was essential practice when loading a gun, was committing sacrilege. The army rebelled and massacred many British officers, administrators, and families. After the Mutiny was put down the administration of India was taken over by the government of Britain.
Victorian Art and Architecture
The Gothic Revival. In reaction to the classical style of the previous century, the Victorian age saw a return to traditional British styles in building, Tudor and mock-Gothic being the most popular. The Gothic Revival, as it was termed, was part spiritual movement, part recoil from the mass produced monotony of the Industrial Revolution. It was a romantic yearning for the traditional, comforting past. The Gothic Revival was led by John Ruskin, who, though not himself an architect, had huge influence as a successful writer and philosopher.
Extravagant... Most popular architectural styles were throwbacks; Tudor, medieval, Italianate. Houses were often large, and terribly inconvenient to live in. The early Victorians had a predilection for overly elaborate details and decoration. Some examples of large Victorian houses are Highclere Castle (Hampshire) and Kelham Hall (Nottinghamshire).
... and simple. In late Victorian times the pendulum, predictably, swung to the other extreme and the style was simpler, using traditional vernacular (folk) models such as the English farmhouse. This period is typified by the work of Norman Shaw at 'Wispers' Midhurst, (Sussex).
Not just styles changed. The Industrial Revolution made possible the use of new materials such as iron and glass. The best example of the use of these new materials was the Crystal Palace built by Joseph Paxton for the Great Exhibition of 1851.
The Arts and Crafts movement. Another name that has to be mentioned in the context of Victorian art and architecture is that of William Morris. Neither artist nor architect, he nevertheless had enormous influence in both arenas. Morris and his artist friends Rossetti and Burne-Jones were at the forefront of the movement known as 'Arts and Crafts'. Part political manifesto, part social movement, with a large dollop of nostalgia thrown in, the Arts and Crafters wanted a return to high quality materials and hand-made excellence in all fields of art and decoration.
The cheap, mass-produced (and artistically inferior) building and decorating materials then available horrified them. Morris himself, through his Morris and Co., designed furniture, textiles, wallpaper, decorative glass, and murals. Many of Morris' designs are still popular today.
Places to see in the UK associated with Queen Victoria
There has been a surge of interest in the life and times of Queen Victoria in recent years - due in no small part to several popular films, such as 'Mrs Brown', and 'The Young Victoria'.
Here's a look at several places around the UK either directly associated with Queen Victoria, or that have featured in films about her life. Several of the most popular and well known attractions are clustered in London, as you might expect, but there are quite a few scattered throughout the UK. Let's start with the London locations first.
Locations in London
Kensington Palace
First up, there's Kensington Palace, where Princess Alexandrina Victoria was born on 24 May, 1819 (yes, that's right, the young princess first name was not Victoria, and indeed, she was known in her family as 'Drina', from her true first name 'Alexandrina'. She was christened by the archbishop of Canterbury in the Cupola Room at the palace, and the young Victoria spent much of her childhood at the palace, located at the western extremity of Kensington Gardens.
Buckingham Palace
Then, of course, there's Buckingham Palace, with the huge gilt statue of Victoria punctuating The Mall in front of the Palace gates. When Victoria moved into the palace it was only partially complete, and she complained that it was drafty, the doors didn't shut properly, and drains smelled bad. Things have improved since then!
The generally uneventful reign of George's brother, William IV (1830-37), was followed by that of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). Only 18 when she came to the throne, Victoria oversaw England at the height of its overseas power. The British Empire was established in her reign, and it reached its greatest expanse under her. Things did not start off smoothly, however.
The Chartist movement began in 1839 with demands for electoral reform and universal male suffrage. The movement was taken over by radical reformers and was dealt with very harshly by the authorities. The Anti Corn Law League was another voice for social reform. They advocated total free trade, but it was not until 1846 that the Corn Laws were completely repealed.
The Great Exhibition. Victoria's consort, Prince Albert, was the main backer of the 1851 Great Exhibition. This was the first "world's fair", with exhibits from most of the world's nations. The exhibition was held in Hyde Park, and the showpiece was the Crystal Palace, a prefabricated steel and glass structure like a gigantic greenhouse, which housed the exhibits. The Crystal Palace was disassembled after the Exhibition and moved to Sydenham, in south London, where it burned down in 1936. for (more, see The Great Exhibition).
The Crimean War. Overseas England became involved in the Crimean War (1854), which was notable only in that it provided evidence of military incompetence and the material for the poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade", by Alfred Tennyson. One positive that came out of the war was the establishment of more humane nursing practices under the influence of Florence Nightingale, the courageous "Lady with the Lamp".
The Indian Mutiny. A few years later (1857) saw the Indian Mutiny. India had been administered by the East India Company with government co-operation. The spark for the Mutiny was provided when the army introduced new rifle cartridges which were rumoured to have been greased with lard. Any Hindu who bit off the end of the cartridge, which was essential practice when loading a gun, was committing sacrilege. The army rebelled and massacred many British officers, administrators, and families. After the Mutiny was put down the administration of India was taken over by the government of Britain.
Victorian Art and Architecture
The Gothic Revival. In reaction to the classical style of the previous century, the Victorian age saw a return to traditional British styles in building, Tudor and mock-Gothic being the most popular. The Gothic Revival, as it was termed, was part spiritual movement, part recoil from the mass produced monotony of the Industrial Revolution. It was a romantic yearning for the traditional, comforting past. The Gothic Revival was led by John Ruskin, who, though not himself an architect, had huge influence as a successful writer and philosopher.
Extravagant... Most popular architectural styles were throwbacks; Tudor, medieval, Italianate. Houses were often large, and terribly inconvenient to live in. The early Victorians had a predilection for overly elaborate details and decoration. Some examples of large Victorian houses are Highclere Castle (Hampshire) and Kelham Hall (Nottinghamshire).
... and simple. In late Victorian times the pendulum, predictably, swung to the other extreme and the style was simpler, using traditional vernacular (folk) models such as the English farmhouse. This period is typified by the work of Norman Shaw at 'Wispers' Midhurst, (Sussex).
Not just styles changed. The Industrial Revolution made possible the use of new materials such as iron and glass. The best example of the use of these new materials was the Crystal Palace built by Joseph Paxton for the Great Exhibition of 1851.
The Arts and Crafts movement. Another name that has to be mentioned in the context of Victorian art and architecture is that of William Morris. Neither artist nor architect, he nevertheless had enormous influence in both arenas. Morris and his artist friends Rossetti and Burne-Jones were at the forefront of the movement known as 'Arts and Crafts'. Part political manifesto, part social movement, with a large dollop of nostalgia thrown in, the Arts and Crafters wanted a return to high quality materials and hand-made excellence in all fields of art and decoration.
The cheap, mass-produced (and artistically inferior) building and decorating materials then available horrified them. Morris himself, through his Morris and Co., designed furniture, textiles, wallpaper, decorative glass, and murals. Many of Morris' designs are still popular today.
Places to see in the UK associated with Queen Victoria
There has been a surge of interest in the life and times of Queen Victoria in recent years - due in no small part to several popular films, such as 'Mrs Brown', and 'The Young Victoria'.
Here's a look at several places around the UK either directly associated with Queen Victoria, or that have featured in films about her life. Several of the most popular and well known attractions are clustered in London, as you might expect, but there are quite a few scattered throughout the UK. Let's start with the London locations first.
Locations in London
Kensington Palace
First up, there's Kensington Palace, where Princess Alexandrina Victoria was born on 24 May, 1819 (yes, that's right, the young princess first name was not Victoria, and indeed, she was known in her family as 'Drina', from her true first name 'Alexandrina'. She was christened by the archbishop of Canterbury in the Cupola Room at the palace, and the young Victoria spent much of her childhood at the palace, located at the western extremity of Kensington Gardens.
Buckingham Palace
Then, of course, there's Buckingham Palace, with the huge gilt statue of Victoria punctuating The Mall in front of the Palace gates. When Victoria moved into the palace it was only partially complete, and she complained that it was drafty, the doors didn't shut properly, and drains smelled bad. Things have improved since then!
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