Victoria The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire by Julia Baird
- Elaine
- Sep 26, 2019
- 3 min read
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Baird's writing style suits my taste so well. Although a biography, it wasn't tedious to read; it's like a narrative. It kept my interest up most of the time as it was easy to understand. Everything was well planned and written in a manner that didn't leave a reader confused by the time periods mentioned. The Queen, despite everything, was still only human. She had many faults that I found myself hating her for, but also many aspects for me to sympathise with and loving her for. By the end, I felt emotional when reading of her funeral procession.
We see a woman who suffered from post-natal depression, criticised by her husband for being 'dramatic', and advised to suppress her emotions. Living in a Christian country where a wife must submit to her husband, we see her struggling to balance the power she possessed as a Queen and the duties of a wife, only to find the power of her crown being practically stolen by her husband. As a religious woman, we see that she willingly lets go of that power; we see how she changed from a stubborn, strong woman before she got married, to one who lacked confidence and became terribly submissive in the name of love. (In this moment, I actually view this relationship a toxic one. No one makes it a point to bring down a person just because she is a woman, to the point where she begins to lose confidence in herself.) In a man's eyes, after all, this was right. But boy did I love how Victoria managed to hold herself up after her husband's death, despite her need for love and compassion, even with so many of her ministers saying that a woman should not rule a country on her own. Even though she didn't support women empowerment, as she believed they should remain the servants of men (ironically, if I say so myself, as she holds a position of such great importance), her long reign had showcased a long list of skills that women are entirely capable of. Women are not mere unintelligent bimbos for men to own as property; women have their own minds and are completely able to make their own decisions and own an income.
But I did find certain parts of her terrible. Her selfishness. Her tendency to induce pity from others just to get her way. Her inability to look past her emotions to ensure that her job as the Queen was not lacking (I honestly think if she were working in a modern company, she'd had been fired). Unlike Prince Albert, I do believe that emotions should be fully expressed, but there are definitely times when reality strikes and it is only right that one pulls herself together, even if it's difficult. But it took a long, long time for Queen Victoria to put in any effort at all to do her job right as sovereign after Prince Albert's death. That was her greatest fault, in my eyes. She was so willing to drown herself completely in grief that nothing else seemed to matter, she might as well have abdicated.
Other than going in-depth about the Queen herself, Baird also dives into several people who were important to Victoria, whether in a good or bad way. Historical facts of wars are also included. At the end, photos are made available for readers to view. I've gotta admit that I did find the last few chapters that focus heavily on politics boring. I ended up skimming through quite a bit. But I did enjoy this biography overall. Do you want to know how the Queen really felt about marriage? Childbirth? How her relationship with her family was like? This book's title definitely lives up to its name, for it is a thousand times over an intimate biography.
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