Queen Victoria & Prince Albert--Photos and Information

[Dru]

Albert by Brocky.

[rosieposie]

:UPDATE:  This is in response to an earlier post I made in regards to Queen Victoria's complete outfit, including hat, boots and undergarments.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2167120/Queen-Victoria-mourning-dress-wore-late-1800s-sells-times-expected-price.html

Picutres again

[Ian (UK)]

Queen Victoria's Osborne House Beach open to public.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2174602/Queen-Victorias-private-beach-Osborne-opened-public.html

Queen Victoria's Bathing Machine. One of my pictures from 2008.

[CountessKate]

You've got to admire the stamina of Victorian ladies, since bathing seemed to consist in standing in the sea, dressed in woollen garments, and having your head shoved under the water by powerful women of the lower classes.  Most invigorating.

[Ian (UK)]

  ..........and a BBC news report to mark the event.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ1KnTJTUts&feature=relmfu

[Suzanne]

Fascinating new book just came out about the attempts on Queen Victoria's life

http://www.royalhistorian.com/the-victorian-book-reviews-2-shooting-victoria-madness-mayhem-and-the-rebirth-of-the-british-monarchy-by-paul-thomas-murphy/

[LauraO]

I couldnt find anything on this, but it may have been asked before, i was watching a tv show in which antique experts go to the houses of ordinary people and make bids on their antiques, recently in a property on the isle of white an old pharmacutical book was found containing entries dated between 1896 and 1913 naming a number of important people of the time that were prescribed medication. At the beginning of the book was an entry made for Queen Victoria in which she was prescribed Belladonna to be diluted with i think it said cinnamen water (not 100% on that bit)
the suggestion was put forward on the show that belladonna would have been taken for pregnancy , firstly id never heard belladonna be used to cure morning sickness as was suggested but also of course the dates clearly don't stack up, queen victoria was far past morning sickess age.
has anyone heard of this or know what/why it would have been taken by QV?

[CountessKate]

I couldnt find anything on this, but it may have been asked before, i was watching a tv show in which antique experts go to the houses of ordinary people and make bids on their antiques, recently in a property on the isle of white an old pharmacutical book was found containing entries dated between 1896 and 1913 naming a number of important people of the time that were prescribed medication. At the beginning of the book was an entry made for Queen Victoria in which she was prescribed Belladonna to be diluted with i think it said cinnamen water (not 100% on that bit)
the suggestion was put forward on the show that belladonna would have been taken for pregnancy , firstly id never heard belladonna be used to cure morning sickness as was suggested but also of course the dates clearly don't stack up, queen victoria was far past morning sickess age.
has anyone heard of this or know what/why it would have been taken by QV?

Belladonna was an ingredient of the treatment - which included opiates - prescribed for Queen Victoria during childbirth to reduce pain and consciousness, called 'Twilight Sleep' as it produced a trance-like state.  It was overtaken by "blessed chloroform" as Victoria described it, but that was only for her last two children, Leopold and Beatrice.  Other uses of belladonna in medicine at the time were for the treatment of headaches, motion sickness, and menstrual symptoms.  Queen Victoria indeed would have been well past menstrual and pregnancy symptoms by 1896, but may have been prescribed small, diluted doses of belladonna for headaches which she suffered from throughout her life as she was used to the drug.  The use of belladonna had to be carefully controlled as it was highly toxic in higher concentrates, which is why it gradually fell out of use in the 20th century. 

[Suzanne]

Interesting new book about Queen Victoria's relationship with her household

http://www.royalhistorian.com/the-victorian-book-reviews-4-serving-victoria-life-in-the-royal-household-by-kate-hubbard/

[RoyalWatcher]

Suzanne, very interesting indeed. Thank you for providing a lovely summary of the book...makes me want to know more!

[gillian]

Browsing the Royal Collection and found this:

which seems to match this picture. I wonder if the colors are accurate, I didn't expect the dress to be green Either way I thought it was a nice drawing.

[Carolath Habsburg]

For a court gown, green is OK. I love it !! Thanks for sharing!

[grandduchessella]

I've seen the 2nd photo marked numerous times recently as a recreation of Victoria & Albert's wedding since they were married before photography was used. I had always thought it was a Court event. Her dress is similar to her wedding dress (and she's wearing a floral coronet and veil rather than a tiara) and Albert is in uniform and not court dress--just like for the wedding. Does anyone know the story?

[Carolath Habsburg]

Im pretty sure this was discussed somewhere in the forum, when someone posted this image as"wedding photo" . I cant find those messages :-(

[Carolath Habsburg]

Sorry for the doublepost, but i find the description of the image in the RCT

"Description:

Photograph showing a full length portrait of Queen Victoria (1819-1901) and Prince Albert (1819-61), photographed at Buckingham Palace. Queen Victoria stands in right side profile and wears court dress. Prince Albert stands in left side profile, holding a feathered hat in his left hand and wears a uniform. There is a pedestal between them, with flowers upon it.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert are wearing court dress, having just attended a Drawing Room, a formal ceremony at St James’s Palace in which people were presented to the Queen. This image, one of a set of at least six, is the first photograph of the Queen as a reigning monarch rather than as wife or mother."

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/2906084/queen-victoria-and-prince-albert-buckingham-palace

So its actually a court gown acording the RCT. Im confused.