Victoria

Kensington Palace, 24 May 1819 – Osborne House, 22 Jan 1901

12 facts3 sources

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About Victoria

Queen Victoria: A Long Reign and Imperial Titles

AI-assisted · edited

The collection records Victoria’s birth in 1819 at Kensington Palace and her death in 1901 at Osborne House. Her parents were Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn. 1 2 3 4

Victoria reigned as monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 to 1901. She also held the title of Empress of India from 1876 to 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any of her predecessors. 5 6 7

Her coronation took place in 1838. The era that bears her name is described as a period of industrial, political, scientific, and military change within the United Kingdom, marked by a great expansion of the British Empire. 8 7 6

Drafted with AI and edited against the collection. Open a citation to see the record, its sources and how certain it is.

Facts and their sources

Born24 May 1819, Kensington Palacenot verified1 source
Titlemonarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 1837–1901or monarch of Canada, 1867–1901 · Emperor of India, 1876–1901not verified1 source
Titlemonarch of Canada, 1867–1901or monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 1837–1901 · Emperor of India, 1876–1901not verified1 source
TitleEmperor of India, 1876–1901or monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 1837–1901 · monarch of Canada, 1867–1901not verified1 source
EventCoronation of Queen Victoria, 1838not verified1 source
Died22 Jan 1901, Osborne Housenot verified1 source
MotherPrincess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeldnot verified1 source
FatherPrince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearnnot verified1 source

A life in time

24 May 1819
Born in Kensington Palace
1837–1901
Monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
1838
Coronation of Queen Victoria
1840–1857
9 children are born
1867–1901
Monarch of Canada
1876–1901
Emperor of India
22 Jan 1901
Dies in Osborne House, aged 81

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and GothaHusband · 1819–1861

Children · 9

During her lifetime

She lived through 10 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Kensington Palace.

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

The 1810s · Victoria is born in Kensington Palace

What people wore

Everyday attire of working men

Working men typically wore a shirt, waistcoat, heavy wool coat, handkerchief, stockings, and a hat, with breeches being common until trousers gained popularity after 1800.

Getting around

Comparing stage-wagon and stagecoach speeds

Stage-wagons, which were the slow trucks of the era, charged about one penny per mile and could take nearly three days to cover 101 miles. In contrast, by 1800, a fast stagecoach could cover 168 miles in 32 hours.

At the table

Tea Becomes a Staple Drink

By the early 19th century, tea had moved down the social scale and became a staple drink, often served with bread, which was frequently the only meal for the poor.

The Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon’s armies redrew the map of Europe from Spain to Moscow; his invasion of Portugal sent its court to Rio de Janeiro.
Ruedi33a · CC BY-SA 4.0

Music

Festival rewards

Festival participants like pace-eggers often went from house to house singing and dancing, hoping to be rewarded with items such as eggs and strong beer.

Daily life

Cooking and Baking Habits

In some households, families without a private oven sent their bread and cake mixes to a local bakery, marking them with their initials to identify them. Cooking ranges heated by coal were used, with water heated in kettles hung over the fire or in boilers behind the coal fire.

What it cost

Shoemaking and prices of boots

A pair of boots could be made in a single day, with Blucher boots costing one shilling and threepence.