Early Life of Queen Victoria
Victoria was born on May 24, 1819, at Kensington Palace, London, as the daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. She was named after her mother and her grandfather, King George III. Victoria’s birth was the result of a series of royal marriages aimed at ensuring a Protestant heir to the British throne.
Victoria’s early years were overshadowed by the strict upbringing enforced by her mother and her governess, Baroness Louise Lehzen. Her father died when she was just eight months old, leaving her as the heir presumptive to the throne. At the time, her uncle, King George IV, and then his successor, King William IV, reigned. The absence of a direct male heir to the throne made it inevitable that Victoria would eventually become queen.
Ascension to the Throne
Victoria became Queen of the United Kingdom on June 20, 1837, following the death of her uncle, King William IV. She was just 18 years old at the time, and her ascension marked a significant shift in British monarchy. The young queen was thrown into the complexities of royal duties and statecraft at an early age, but she soon proved to be a determined and capable ruler.
Her early reign was marked by political instability, including the Whig and Tory rivalry. Her prime ministers during her reign included notable figures like Lord Melbourne, Sir Robert Peel, and Benjamin Disraeli, each of whom shaped the policies of Britain during her reign. Victoria's close relationship with her first prime minister, Lord Melbourne, helped guide her in the early years of her reign, though her growing sense of independence later saw her asserting her authority in political matters. shutdown123