Victoria, Queen

Cultural  

1. A British queen of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. During her reign, Britain reached new heights in industrial and colonial power and diplomatic influence. Victoria became queen at the age of eighteen and soon married Prince Albert, who proved an enormous support to her; after his early death, she remained in official mourning until her own death forty years later. Victoria was known for her impartiality toward the two leading political parties of Britain, the Liberals and the Conservatives, which both produced extraordinary leaders during her reign (see Benjamin Disraeli and William Ewart Gladstone). She was also known for establishing strict standards of personal morality. (See Victorian period.)

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The term Victorian today sometimes recalls Queen Victoria's stands on personal moral issues and may suggest prudery or a moral self-satisfaction.

Queen Victoria's children and grandchildren married into many of the other royal families of Europe. Tragically, many of them passed on the disease hemophilia. Victoria carried the disease in her genes, and one of her sons died from it. The hemophiliac son of Nicholas II, the czar of Russia, was descended from Victoria. (See Grigori Rasputin.)

Example Sentences

“Tea, certainly. Messenger, right away! All expenses to be charged to the account of Victoria, Queen of England. . . .”

From Literature

“Big ones. They are the daughters of ’Er Majesty, Queen Victoria, Queen of England and Empress of India.”

From Literature

Beside Victoria, queen and empress, glowering toward the Mall, is a cascade of allegorical statuary representing Courage and Constancy, Truth and Justice, Manufacture and Agriculture, Peace and Progress, and Motherhood.

From New York Times

The gravestone which Victoria had erected over Lehzen’s grave bears the inscription: “Dedicated in gratitude to the faithful mentor of her youth by Victoria, Queen of Great Britain”.

From The Guardian

The very status of Alexandrina Victoria, Queen of England, at the time of her first encounter with that Indian servant struck me as perfectly ridiculous.

From New York Times