Book Review: "Queen Victoria" by Lucy Worsley (Pt. 3)

We are starting to discover more angles of Queen Victoria and so, we move into her reign in which she is definitely starting to show off her privilege in Buckingham Palace. The palace, built for King George IV by John Nash, is described as a horrid and dark place which has to have constant candlelight. Lucy Worsley looks at people briefly who referred to the palace as a prison because of the way it looked from the inside. Though it was aptly decorated by the previous kings, it was dark and gloomy, often hindering the Queen's ability to see as she walked the endless hallways.

This section also concerns itself with a lady-in-waiting named Lady Flora, whom Victoria despised because she seemed to always be sick and lying around. Victoria was definitely showcasing her privilege as she had started to put on more weight as she ate more and more food. She was recommended by advisors to go on a diet but couldn't hold the restraint for long. I do wonder how her weight was reported because at this time, she definitely looks more than her reported weight of abouut 57-60kg. Lucy Worsley though isn't talking about the young Queen gaining weight, instead she's talking about the way in which she was spending more and more on foods and luncheons which seemed large as they were wasteful. The true decadence of the palace is beginning to shine through and I think it will definitely be repeated later on in the book.

Lady Flora's weight is also going up, suspected of pregnancy, she is cruelly violated by doctors only to discover she isn't pregnant. But ultimately, she dies of liver failure. Victoria accepts no responsibility for being cruel to her but definitely feels it when people refuse to remove their hats in the park when she goes out. The world is changing and Queen Victoria, as Lucy Worsley states, must change with it or perish. This is not the same as being the princess at all. She is judged now - not just watched.

And this watching was done by many people, especially those who were hoping that Victoria would marry soon. The proposal to Prince Albert, Lucy Worsley writes, was one that was hindered by mixed feelings and pressure. the Queen knew she needed to get it just right, not tell her mother until the public knew and atop of this, make sure that Albert was ready for his place next to her. The public didn't really like the notion of a prince from Germany but I think they forgot that their queen was of German blood as well and so they don't really have a standing in that respect..

The proposal is written as an account of various things including but not limited to all the things Victoria liked about Albert. But we are reminded that the marriage pool for a royal is small, very small indeed for they were first cousins. Lucy Worsley doesn't let us forget about how few freedoms Victoria actually had, but also balances that with her ability to remain calm on the outside in tender and anxiety-inducing situations. It's admirable and worrying at the same time.

Victoria's wedding day was filled with cheers. Lucy Worsley goes into detail about the Queen's wedding dress, white with lace and a small train, she was decorated in jewels and of course, this would inspire many a wedding dress to come as she is described as dressed in an 'unqueenly' way. The white wedding dress was of course, Queen Victoria's idea of being married as a woman rather than a queen and everyone thought she looked incredible for it.

The streets are being described as packed full of people like on her coronation day and though it was raining, nobody paid it too much mind. Her mother was happy, though worried about her own power now shifting even further from the throne thanks to Victoria's immediate attention being paid to Albert and Victoria was more than happy. The only person who was worried was Albert. Lucy Worsley described him as not having too much of a public life and now, being thrust into the most public role in the country. He was the new consort.

As we move through the book, we are taken to the birth of the first child, the Princess Victoria (called 'Vicky' in the book presumably to separate her from her mother and also probably because this is what her mother perhaps called her). The couple, though upset it wasn't a boy, were delighted it was alive. The whole public presence of the birthing was very strange to me - Victoria herself didn't seem to care at all, she had been prepared for public life and the amount of people coming and going from her bedchamber as the child was born.

Albert was definitely coming more into his own though. Lucy Worsley describes him of taking charge of the household that day and, as it came to be, he would take charge of royal duties on behalf of his wife - essentially having the power that she wanted to pass off. This was pretty much all of it and probably adds to the idea that royals on the throne would essentially be puppet rulers who had people of influence to make decisions for them. This and the fact that she felt it his duty as her husband.