The Young Victoria

The Young Victoria

This beautiful, extensively researched volume investigates the birth andearly life of one of the most familiar British monarchs, Queen Victoria (1819-1901). A wealth of material, including many unexamined sources of unpublished images, sheds new light on Victoria’s youth. Included here are portraits of the queen as princess,childhood diaries and sketchbooks, clothing, jewellery and correspondence.
Deirdre Murphy paints a vivid picture of Victoria’s early years. Among her most suprising conclusions is the idea that the queen’s personal mythology of a childhood characterised by sadness and isolation is less accurate than is generally thought. Victoria’s personal relationships are bought brilliantly to life, from her affectionate but increasingly suffocating bond with her mother, the Duchess of Kent, to the controlling influence  of Sir John Conroy, a man she came to dispise, and her courtship with Prince Albert. Lesser-known figures are also explored, including Victoria’s first schoolmaster Reverend George Davys, her governess Louise Lehzen and her half-sister Feodore. This fascinating cast of characters enhances our image of Victoria, who emerges as both wilful and submissive, fickle and affectionate, and with the explosive temper of her Hanoverian ancestors.

• Written by Deirdre Murphy
• 224 Pages
• Hardback
• Dimensions: 19.81 x 2.54 x 26.16 cm
• ISBN: 9780300238877