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Victoria, Princess Royal

London, 21 Nov 1840 – Schlosshotel Kronberg, 5 Aug 1901

10 facts3 sources

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Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 21 Nov 1840

    Born in London

  2. 1841–1901

    Princess Royal

  3. 1859–1872

    8 children are born

  4. 5 Aug 1901

    Dies in Schlosshotel Kronberg, aged 60

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 8

During her lifetime

She lived through 7 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around London.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1840s · Victoria, is born in London

In the news1840

Introduction of the Penny Post

The Uniform Penny Post was introduced in 1840, making mail affordable and leading to a five-fold increase in sent letters.

What people wore

The Monthly Laundry Operation

Laundry was so time-consuming that large households might only wash once a month, performing a massive operation lasting up to a week that disrupted the entire house.

Daily life

Candlelight and rushlights provided minimal illumination

Without electricity or gas, ordinary people relied on simple tallow candles or rushlights dipped in animal fat, which burned for only about one hour each.

In the news1846–1847

Hunger crisis of 1846-1847

A severe potato blight caused a major hunger crisis across Europe, leading to unrest in Prussian markets and bakeries.

Music

Everyday singing and festival traditions

People sang at work and leisure, often drawing from well-known ballads or popular songs like The Mistletoe Bough. At festivals, groups such as mummers and pace-eggers performed dances and songs while wearing masks or fantastic costumes to request alms, often rewarded with eggs and strong beer.

In Europe1845–1852

The Great Famine in Ireland

Potato blight ruined harvests: a million Irish people died and a million more emigrated, many to America.

Getting around

Walking was the common mode of travel

For everyday travel, most people relied on walking, typically covering about 3 miles per hour and rarely exceeding 20 miles in a single day.