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| Victoria at Coronation |
As an Indian history student, I read about queen Victoria in bad reference generally. Queen Victoria’s reign was at the time when Indians started to launch protests against British Empire. However, it was good to Queen Victoria that during her time, India was just awakening and did not roar up, otherwise her reign would be blamed to lost a big colony.
First reference I read about Queen Victoria in Indian history, when Queen of Jhansi sent her English lawyer to put the case before queen Victoria about the legitimacy of Jhansi’s heir. Second reference was about “Delhi Darbar” which was held in 1877 when a lot of money was spent in the preparation of program, while on the other side, people were dying in Madras famine.
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| Depiction of Delhi Darbar |
These two references and other literature depicting the cruelty of Britishers was enough to create hate against the queen and her empire.
However, the series “Victoria” changed this perception against queen Victoria a little. After watching scary, bloody, horrified and unnecessary nude content of Vikings and then Vampire Diaries, I was in search of a calm and beautiful series, and “Victoria” ended my search.
It was first series which I watched in just three days, also this was first series which gave me “Show fever” (a type of attachment which you feel towards a show and cannot stop to think about that show). Also, this series gave me too much information and knowledge about British history. Many of which I already read as a student of History, English literature, political science and also law.
Every episode of Victoria discusses about a major historical event of her reign. It is better to categorize this knowledge/history in following heads-
1. Personal life of Queen Victoria
In the series, Queen Victoria was shown as a lady of present day who was advocate of women rights and depicted as logical, intelligent lady who took every decision in such a way which people of present time might expect from her. Her life was depicted very beautifully. We saw royal ball, court proceeding, the coronation and wedding of Victoria, and also her personal differences with other characters.
The most beautiful romance which Victoria fans (including me) loved too much, was of Victoria and her first prime minister “Lord Melbourne”. Lord Melbourne performed his character with so much grace that people become obsessed with his character and named this relationship “Vicbourne”.
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| Queen Victoria and Lord Melbourne |
An irony with the show was that Victoria does not want children in the show, (as modern day woman might want), despite of this, she become the mother of nine children. In writer’s excitement to show her as present day woman, they forgot that she was the lady of 19th century.
2. Slavery bill in Victoria’s reign
Episode 6 of season 2 is dedicated to the slavery bill which was introduced to end the slavery in American countries. After the arrival of a negro Barret in Britain, who escaped from the paws of slavery and britishers’ determination to wash out slavery, introduced the slavery bill in parliament. We saw that Queen Victoria and palace was in agreement to end slavery. And it was also Prince albert’s first public speech (according to series) which he gave in support of slavery bill.
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| Prince Albert giving speech in Parliament |
And, finally slavery bill passed.
3. Potato Famine
Episode 6 of season 2 covers “Potato famine of Ireland’. This was time of disease and great hunger in Ireland. Millions of people died with hunger and diseases, those who were lucky, fled to America. We see that protestant government of England was not in favor to help catholic people of Ireland. Robert Trail a peer from Ireland wrote a letter in newspaper to describe the worst situation which queen Victoria also read and invited him to suggest what could be done to help people.
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| Robert Trail discussing with Queen Victoria |
And ultimately, Trail also died with typhus while helping people in famine.
4. England was not too rich
In “Victoria” we see two types of England. A rich England which had royal family and people of high birth and other one which was too poor where people were living the life like hell. People spending their lives in harsh winter without proper clothing and food. In the series, we see many scenes when poverty of English people was depicted.
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5. Cholera Outbreak
The episode (Episode 4 of Season 3) which covered the Cholera Outbreak was too heart breaking because it also killed the main and kind character of “Victoria”, the character of Nancy Skerrett, the dress designer and hair dresser of Queen Victoria.
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| Skerret at Death-bed |
We see that cholera outbroke in the “Soho” due to the polluted water. Many people were died and then a doctor discussed the causes of this outbreak with Victoria which helped her to remove the cause of disease.
With these historical events, I also learned about beautiful brocket hall of Lord Melbourne, Cheswick institute which had the duty to send its best dresser to Queen Victoria, parliament and queen court's proceedings, the dynasty of prince albert and English attitude towards foreigners, relations of English royalty with German and France, the invention of computer by Charles babaz and lady Lovelace, incident of lady flora scandal, bed chamber incident where queen denied to change her ladies in waiting and also the chartist movement which I also read in my political science books, this movement furthered the way for universal suffrage in England.
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| A morning post about lady flora's scandal |
It is true that “Victoria’ does not present accurate history because it is not a documentary. But at least, it gives us glimpse to the major histories of her reign and if we want to read it further, we can google that. First season wholly dedicated in settling the personal life of queen Victoria, second and third seasons revolves around historical events. Last but not the least, the title music of the series “Gloriana Halleluja” is luxury to the ears.
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