To the outside world Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their family seemed the embodiment of domestic bliss, but the reality was very different, writes historian Jane Ridley. The marriage between the two first cousins - the young Queen and the clever, handsome German prince - was a love match.

Did Victoria and Albert really love each other?

Though their affection for each other has been well documented – not least by Queen Victoria herself, who wrote openly of her love for her husband in her diaries – it was far from love at first sight for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, at least on Victoria's part.

What was the relationship between Victoria and Albert?

Albert and Victoria were first cousins, sharing a set of grandparents. Victoria's mother, Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and Prince Albert's father, Duke Ernst of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha were brother and sister.

Were Queen Victoria and Albert happily married?

Queen Victoria married her husband of 21 years, Prince Albert, on 10 February 1840 in St James's Palace chapel, in what was the first marriage of a reigning queen of England since Mary I in 1554. ... But the marriage was not the romantic happy-ever-after story that Victoria constructed. It was far more complex than that.

Was Queen Victoria really in love with Lord Melbourne?

Yet while she established a remarkably close bond with some, others failed spectacularly to win her favour. Victoria's first prime minister, Lord Melbourne, was keen to flatter, instruct and influence the young queen from the very beginning. The pair were so close that Victoria claimed to love him “like a father”.

Victoria & Albert: A Royal Love Story

What happened to Lord Melbourne's wife?

Embarrassed and disgraced, Melbourne decided to part from his wife, though the formal separation did not occur until 1825. Lady Caroline died in 1828, aged 42, her death hastened by drink and drugs. Lord Melbourne, not yet Prime Minister, was by her bedside.

Did Queen Victoria love her children?

Raising The Royal Children

The Queen was undeniably fond of her children, though her involvement with them was significantly less than might be expected of a modern mother.

How old was Victoria when she died?

Queen Victoria died at the age of 81 on 22 January 1901 at 6.30 pm. She passed away at Osbourne House on the Isle of Wight, surrounded by her children and grandchildren.

Is Queen Victoria related to Queen Elizabeth?

For Queen Elizabeth, the relation to Queen Victoria is through her father's side. During Queen Victoria's reign as the Queen of England from 1837 to 1901, she had nine children, four sons and five daughters, with her husband Prince Albert.

Did Queen Victoria marry first cousin Albert?

Victoria married her first cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1840. Their children married into royal and noble families across the continent, earning Victoria the sobriquet "the grandmother of Europe" and spreading haemophilia in European royalty.

Why did Queen Victoria hate being pregnant?

While Queen Victoria gave birth to many children, she hated being pregnant, and historians have suggested that she may have suffered from post-natal depression. She compared pregnancy to feeling like a cow and wrote that “an ugly baby is a very nasty object – and the prettiest is frightful when undressed”.

What was Queen Victoria's personality?

Strong-willed, and supported by Lehzen, Victoria survived the Kensington system; when she ascended the throne in 1837, she did so alone. Her mother's actions had estranged her from Victoria and taught the future queen caution in her friendships. Moreover, her retentive memory did not allow her to forgive readily.

Did Prince Albert's brother Ernest have syphilis?

Though neither man names the disease, the subtext is clear: Ernest contracted syphilis during a wild night in Paris – a misfortune that could befall anyone, really. The doctor offers no rebuke. Instead, he shifts blame by lamenting that “the women who carry this disease” are often asymptomatic.

How old was Victoria when she married Albert?

Marriage to Prince Albert

In 1840, at the age of 20, Victoria married her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Initially she was keen to assert her authority over her husband, even choosing Albert's household for him.

What disease did Albert's brother have?

Ernest had suffered from a venereal disease in his late teens and early twenties, most likely as the consequence of living a wild, promiscuous lifestyle.

Do Royals get embalmed?

It's unknown whether the royal family choose to be embalmed, but it's likely that it happens, considering the length of time they're usually required to wait before going underground.

How long did Queen Victoria live after Prince Albert died?

Perhaps the most significant turning point in Queen Victoria's life was the death of Prince Albert in December 1861. His death sent Victoria into a deep depression, and she stayed in seclusion for many years, rarely appearing in public. She mourned him by wearing black for the remaining forty years of her life.

Did Victoria and Melbourne have a relationship?

When the young Victoria ascended to the throne in 1837, she and Melbourne developed a close relationship, with the prime minister tutoring the new queen in government and politics. ... Melbourne went into a decline and died from the effects of a stroke on 24 November 1848.

What happened to Lady Caroline Lamb?

William Lamb was Chief Secretary for Ireland by that time and made a perilous crossing to be by her side when Lady Caroline died on 25 January 1828. Lady Caroline was buried in the graveyard of St Etheldreda's church in Hatfield; her husband was later buried within the church.