Life In Victorian England

Queen Victoria was placed on the English throne in 1837, shortly after the death of William IV. She would continue to reign over the United Kingdom until her death in 1876 as one of the longest reigning monarchs in world history. Young Victoria was only eighteen years old when she came to power over a rather large empire that was considered to be one of the most powerful in the world. A young lady who was barely eighteen and unmarried caused quite a stir among the English parliament and subjects. An unwed, female, teenage monarch was a tremendously progressive concept in 19th century Europe that was not always welcome or publicly accepted.

Queen Victoria’s popularity with the public increased when she married Prince Consort Albert.

Family came first and was at the center of life and celebrations. Although the Victoria kept a busy schedule, she made time for her children and Albert. They could often be found spending time together in the gardens or elsewhere around the palace. Due to their example, the Victorian Era greatly emphasized the importance of family. Family life in Victorian England also included a hired staff that would care for the family with duties such as babysitting the children and making meals, to caring for the grounds and horses. Another main duty for the hired staff was to care for the home. Homes in Victorian England were often stuffed with decorations and elaborate patterns covering furniture, walls, floors, and curtains. The plethora of colors and textures border on being overwhelming in style, yet it still feels comfortable and homey in my

Men were to behave as gentlemen and women were to behave as fine ladies at all times. Conflict and controversial issues were to be kept out of the public view, to present a positive and controlled demeanor to the public, no matter what is going on behind closed doors. Dr. Bowdler, a physician and social reformer, believed strongly in whitewashing controversial issues such as sexuality. An example of this would be like adding fig leaves to cover up parts of nude statues. Morals and standards were high and mischievous behavior was unacceptable and must be done away with. An excellent example of this situation would be the novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. Dr. Jekyll is a well-mannered man who expresses his evil urges through Mr. Hyde, his alternative personality. Mr. Hyde acts out urges such as violence and sexual encounters that would be considered completely unacceptable in Victorian