Queen Victoria and Victorian Celebration of Death - Essay Example

?Queen Victoria Order No. 515470 Introduction Distinguished Historian and of ‘Queen Victoria,” Walter Arnstein, sheds light on the life and times of Britain’s longest reigning monarch in an insightful and scintillating book that is so fascinating, considering it is "more than one hundred years after her death, her personality continues to fascinate." (Walter Arnstein, 2005) It stands out as a pioneering example because it is considered to be the first royal biography that was written by a professional historian. In this essay we are attempting to understand what Arnstein wrote on the importance of the Victorian reign and how it holds much significance even today. Arnstein sheds light on the time Princess Victoria ascended the throne at the young age of eighteen. It was during this period that the British royal family’s reputation reached the lowest level that can be imagined. When she was only an infant, her father who was the fourth son of King George the III expired and her mother brought her up single-handedly in a manner that was “both simple and spare,” by keeping a very keen eye on her and restricting all her movements. (Brad Hooper, 2005) However, in 1837, after the death of her uncle William IV, she assumed the throne and brought her cloistered existence to a close. Arnstein also sheds light on how Queen Victoria, under the guidance and influence of her beloved consort, Prince Albert, worked hard behind the scenes all through her years as a reclusive widow. (Brad Hooper, 2005) Queen Victoria has been the subject of the most number of biographies, than any other lady born since the 1800’s. However, Arnstein is one of the latest biographers who has carried out an in-depth research on the Queen and has shed light on many of the neglected areas of the Queen’s life. Arnstein’s biography is based on authentic manuscript sources such as journals and letters from the Queen’s own writings. His book enlightens us on various aspects of the queen’s life. It speaks of the personal life of the queen and the religious views she held. He brings out many interesting facts about her as a political figure and the different initiatives she took during her reign as the queen. The author investigates the public role she undertook and her involvement with the British army. Arnstein’s depiction of Victorian society is so well expressed in his biography, giving his readers a deep understanding about the administration and the political scene that existed during that time. These facts are not found in the biographies of other authors. He especially examines the political, social, economical and cultural background that was prevalent in Victorian society which makes it easy for his audience to understand how the administration was carried out during those days. In his enlightening and engaging study of the Queen, Arnstein makes an investigation of the public and private life of Queen Victoria. He makes use of the Royal Archives of the Windsor Castle, biographies, monographs, surveys and past research studies and incorporates them together with his own findings to provide us with an insightful view of the Victorian Age. For his study, he made use of various sources of previously unpublished journals and letters written and received by the Queen that contributed towards making his biography of Queen Victoria one of the most outstanding biographies ever. In the history of the world, Queen Victoria is considered as one of the most influential octogenarians to head one of the most powerful nations in the world. Arnstein sheds light on some of the controversial domestic issues and the various international conflicts that faced Victoria during her reign, which is considered to be the longest in the history of Britain. He also made use of secondary sources from collections of already published material to gain insight into the Queen’s life. He speaks of her marriage to Albert and of her being the mother of nine children who proudly showed them to ‘domestic and foreign dignitaries’ (Walter Arnstein, Pg. 288) who visited her. But after her husband Albert’s death in 1861 she had withdrawn herself from Britain’s public life because it was a wound that would not heal. (Lytton Strachey, 1918) He also tells us of the Queen’s youngest son Leopold who was afflicted by Hemophilia which was thought to be transmitted by one of the maternal ancestors of the Queen. In fact, three of the Queen’s grandchildren and many of her great grand children were also Hemophilic. (Thrupp, Stroud, 1998) Leopold’s case encouraged the study of Hemophilia. The conclusions he had arrived at about the Queen’s reign were discussed at length with other modern British historians like Michael Thompson (University of London) Roland Quinault (University of North London) The chief reason that provoked Arnstein to draw his own conclusions was because of the many misconceptions of the Queen written by other biographers. Most of them attempted to depict a more “intimate portrait” thereby neglecting the public face of Victoria and also the influence and impact she “exercised on both people and events.” (Walter Arnstein, 2003) In retrospect of such misconceptions, Arnstein made a sincere attempt to project the public face of Victoria and fill in those areas that were so long neglected. He took it as a challenge to project her "not only as a personality and a symbol and an adjective but also a multidimensional human being and an active player in the domestic politics and the international relations of the nineteenth century."(Walter Arnstein, 2003) Making use of Victoria’s correspondence, journals, official documents and other unpublished material, and also by using the Queen’s own words wherever possible, Arnstein attempted to paint the right picture of the Queen to his audiences. One such misconception is her being associated with the “Victorian celebration of death”, but on the other hand she was an exceptionally healthy person for most of her life. Another major misconception was that she withdrew herself from matters of the state after her beloved husband Albert died at the age of 42. This is highly refuted by Arnstein in his book where he clearly states that though her public appearances were kept to a minimum, she was “very much involved” in the public and private lives of all her children and grandchildren. In addition, she worked with her cabinet ministers behind the scenes and took part in the dramatic changes that occurred in World History due to the “unification of Germany, the unification of Italy and the American Civil War.” (Walter Arnstein, 2003) In Victoria’s own words she had “a warm passionate nature” and this explains why after Albert’s death she associated with a number of men like her adviser and Prime minister, Lord Melbourne, her personal attendant, John Brown and her Munshi Abdul Karim. She never liked taking suggestions from her children or courtiers and though at times she could be selfish and unreasonable, at other times she "had the ability to epitomize grace and to attract both awe and devotion." (Walter Arnstein, 2003) In the latter part of her life the Queen became a staunch imperialist and also "a fervent champion of religious and racial diversity." (Walter Arnstein, 2003) Even though more than 100 years have gone by, yet, her personality continues to fascinate and her image remains engraved on our collective memory." (Walter Arnstein, 2003) Conclusion Arnstein’s work is not only an authoritative piece of work but is also fascinating and intelligible to his audiences in making them familiar with the life in the Victorian Age. Queen Victoria’s reign had lasted for 64 years (1837 – 1901) This was called the Victorian Era during which the Queen played a major role in the building of the British empire. She was a witness to the great industrial progress it made and was witness to many artistic successes. This period was as eventful as it was inspiring. The historical evidence gathered by Arnstein in his book highlights the multi-dimensional personality of the Queen, making it one of the most interesting biographies ever to be written. After Queen Victoria’s death she was succeeded by her son Prince Albert who became King Edward VII. References Biography of Queen Victoria www.news.illinois.edu/news/03/1223vic.html Brad Hooper. Editorial Review. American Library Association. Lytton Strachey, (1918) The Eminent Victorians. Queen Victoria Biography www.answers.com/topic/queen-victoria Queen Victoria/ Walter Arnstein www.us.macmillan.com/queenvictoria Queen Victoria- British History in Perspective www.amazon.com Thrupp & Stroud, (1998) The Untold Story of Queen Victoria’s Youngest son. Pgs – 2, 16 -18) Walter Arnstein (2005) Queen Victoria. Palgrave Macmillan. Pgs. 272 Read More