Queen Victoria - Part 3 - The Family

Moreover, she could never indulge in what she referred to as baby worship. An ugly baby, she wrote later, is a very nasty object and the prettiest is frightful when undressed. To make matters worse, Prince Albert's devotion to his children appeared to distract him from his devotion to Victoria, and the couple frequently clashed over the best means of caring for them. Fortunately, within a short time Victoria yielded to Albert's superior understanding. And as the children grew from babyhood, both parents shared a deep concern for their welfare and development. Unlike many ruling families of the day, they placed as much emphasis on the education of their daughters as that of their sons. Alongside governesses and tutors, Prince Albert himself gave lessons to the children and frequently took them to scientific lectures, as well as Both the Queen and the Prince firmly believed that with privilege comes responsibility, and they were eager to instil their children with a strong sense of duty which would serve them well in their future role. Alongside their academic and artistic studies, they were taught practical skills so that they might live useful and independent lives. At Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, Prince Albert had erected the Swiss Cottage, a specially imported playhouse in which there was a kitchen with small ovens and utensils, so that the children could learn to cook and entertain their parents and other guests. Outside the cottage, nine little gardens were laid out in rows, and each child was given a plot in which to grow flowers and vegetables, which their father would purchase from them at market prices. Life was not all duty and study. Beside the Swiss Cottage is a miniature fort where boys and girls played noisy games, and further from the house is a private beach where they were taught to swim. Christmas was a very special time for the family. Prince Albert had a tree lit with candles imported from Germany, and tables decorated with winter greenery were set out with gifts, not only for the family but for the servants and members of the household too. Scenes of this happy domesticity not only restored the image of the monarchy, but created a model on which the ideal of Victorian family life was based. As with any family though, Queen Victoria's was not immune from tensions and tragedies, and, as will be seen in the next video, the contrasting characters of their children brought the Queen and the Prince many anxieties as well as many joys.