a comment on the battle to have control of the future Queen Victoria from 1830 called “The Magic Mirror or a Peep into Futurity” published by Thos McLean, Haymarket. Hand coloured engraving 25 cm high x 35cm wide approx.
While Victoria was under the age of 18 there would have to be a Regency should she have acceded to the throne and the battle would have been as to who would have the prestigious position of Regent and Rule the country. (Only 10 years since the Prince of Wales had had to be the Regent –“The Prince Regent” for his mad father George III) In 1830 she was only 10/11 (born May 1819). In fact her uncle William IV managed to hang on to life until just after her 18th birthday which he was determined to do! (d 1837) He hated Victoria’s Mother the pushy (German speaking) Duchess of Kent but he doted on Victoria. So she came to the throne clear in her own right but it was touch and go.
Her name “Victoria” comes to determine the definition of her long reign – “The Victorian Age” and we take that for granted now looking back but in fact that was all by accident. Her mother who married the Duke of Kent , 4th son of George III, was Princess Victoire of Saxe Coburg Gotha who married the Prince of Leiningen, had two children a boy and girl who were Victoria’s beloved older brother and sister and was widowed in her early 30’s. Victoire is of course the French for “victory”. Not a name known in England at the time and it sounded very European and Foreign to their ears.
At her Christening the baby was given the first name Alexandrina (for the Tsar Alexander who was her Godfather by proxy. As a child she was known as Drina to her intimates. The Prince Regent who had lost his own heir Charlotte was very cross about the whole Christening. It was suggested that for her next name she be given Georgina for him – but he wouldn’t allow it- or indeed Charlotte for her Grandmother the Queen his mother but he wouldn’t allow that either and he said “Oh give her the Mothers name” so she got Alexandrina Victoire and it really wouldn’t have mattered as they all thought that one of the older brother Dukes would get an heir or indeed the Duke of Kent would go on to have a son. As she got older and it became clear that she would be the only surviving heir they had to do some thinking. “Alexander” was Not a popular English name and so they had the V name but that was impossibly French (Napoleonic wars not far off) so the Name had to be made more acceptable by making it Latin (all Latin female names take ia as their ending). Even still there were questions asked in Parliament about this odd foreign name and it was suggested in the 1830’s that she assume a more English name like Charlotte or Caroline – both 18th century queen consorts. But that didn’t happen and everyone got used to Victoria so she was an Original in that name in English society.
