Queen Victoria Revival

Welcome to Queen Victoria Revival

If you have found this section of my website you are probably fascinated by Queen Victoria and the era she gave her name to. I thought it just right to attach my blog and research to my historical interpretation website, which of course is all things Queen Victoria!

I have made it my mission to show that there is more to Queen Victoria than most people realise. From a vivacious young lady to the widow of Windsor in her weeds my research and posts will take you from the start of her life to the very end of it. Across this section of my website you will find a series of blogs, which cover a wide range of events and topics relating to her life and reign. You will also find a series of life stories about her children and grandchildren. I will also cover her fashion, regalia and jewellery which is an incredibly important part of portraying my role as Queen Victoria.

Advent Day 21: Christmas Eve 1857 – Queen Victoria’s Journals

James Roberts, “Frogmore House: The Duchess of Kent’s Sitting Room”, dated 1857, watercolour and bodycolour, RCIN 919734, Royal Collection Trust/© His Majesty King Charles III 2023 “This day has come round so fast again, & it feels quite unlike it, it is so springlike & all the birds singing. — Albert went out shooting & I rode with Mary Bulteel, Gen: Greg, & Col: Biddulph, “Sunset” going so well. — Ernest L. (come for Xmas) appeared for luncheon. — So busy, — so many things

Amelia Stephenson

Dec 21, 20252 min read

‘A great feeling of strangeness & unlikeness to Christmas’: Queen Victoria’s Christmas 1896

1896 had been a traumatic year for Queen Victoria. Not only was it ‘the 35th anniversary of that dreadful day which crushed my life!’1, but she also watched ‘the terrible sorrow that has befallen my poor darling child [Princess Beatrice] & made her a widow too.’2 While Queen Victoria had initially been reluctant for Beatrice to marry, she soon fell in love with her newest son-in-law, Prince Henry of Battenberg, who lived with the Queen during his decade long marriage to Beatr

Amelia Stephenson

Dec 20, 20254 min read

Advent Day 20: Christmas Eve 1856 – Queen Victoria’s Journals

Franz Xaver Winterhalter, “Charles, Prince of Leningen (1804-1856), signed and dated 1850, oil on canvas, RCIN 400913, © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust. “Already we have returned to this festive day. — much busied, ever since our return here, & particularly today with the enormous number of gifts & presents to so many relations, friends, &c —. It rained early, but cleared by 10. — George left us after breakfast. — We took an hour’s walk, &

Amelia Stephenson

Dec 20, 20252 min read

Advent Day 19: Christmas Eve 1855 – Queen Victoria’s Journals

John Linnit, “The ‘Alliance Flag’ Brooch”, 1855, RCIN 4804, Royal Collection Trust/© His Majesty King Charles III 2024 “Very mild & very bright, but a very high wind. — Already Christmas Eve! It comes round to quickly, — so much too fast, & yet how much has happened since last Christmas. — Very busy all the morning, & early afternoon with preparations, which I have been, since returning from Osborne, & indeed before we went. — Albert out shooting, & I, taking a short walk wit

Amelia Stephenson

Dec 19, 20252 min read

Advent Day 18: Christmas Eve 1854 – Queen Victoria’s Journals

George Housman Thomas, “Napoleon III and Prince Albert in Boulogne”, 1854; mistakenly dated 1853, pencil, watercolour, bodycolour and gum arabic, RCIN 920050, Royal Collection Trust/© His Majesty King Charles III 2022 “Yesterday evening also received a letter from Ld Aberdeen & the Draft to Mr Henderson relative to the Sardinian Treaty. None of secret articles are to be agreed to. We amended the Draft a little, ourselves, this morning, as it had some passages in it which appe

Amelia Stephenson

Dec 18, 20252 min read

Advent Day 17: Christmas Eve 1853 – Queen Victoria’s Journals

Princess Helena, “Pont de Malay”, dated 24 Dec 1853, pencil, touches of bodycolour, RCIN 981049, © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust. “We walked out rather late, going through the new Home Farm, which is getting on beautifully. — Was terribly busy all day with Xmas preparations. Alas!, as the 2 preceding years, the joy of the season was much spoilt by the anxiety respecting external & internal Politics. — Took a short walk after luncheon. On c

Amelia Stephenson

Dec 18, 20255 min read

Advent Day 16: Christmas Eve 1852 – Queen Victoria’s Journals

Hills & Saunders, “The Oak Room, Windsor Castle” 1873, albumen print, RCIN 2100577, Royal Collection Trust/© His Majesty King Charles III 2022 “After rain in the night, & a little, early, it cleared, & we were able to take a walk. — Heard at 12 from LdAberdeen, that he would came here, as he had received a letter from Ld John, containing proposals & alterations of so extensive a kind, that if persisted in “would seriously endanger the success” of Ld A.’s undertaking! This ala

Amelia Stephenson

Dec 16, 20252 min read

Advent Day 15: Christmas Eve 1851 – Queen Victoria’s Journals

J Greenwood, “Windsor Castle”, published May 1851, RCIN 700254, Royal Collection Trust/© His Majesty King Charles III 2022 “This dear family festival I ever hail with joy. — Albert out shooting & I, walking with Lenchen. — When I came home much occupied with Xmas presents, sending them off &c. & preparing for the evening. — In the afternoon, after a short walk my time entirely taken up with the Xmas preparations, which really are of a great magnitude, a happy time, but one wh

Amelia Stephenson

Dec 15, 20252 min read

Advent Day 14: Christmas Eve 1850 – Queen Victoria’s Journals

Edward Henry Corbould, “The Coronation scene from Meyerbeer’s Le Prophete”, dated 1850, watercolour, RCIN 451109, Royal Collection Trust/© His Majesty King Charles III 2024 “The frost gone, a raw dull morning. — Albert out shooting, & I, walking with the Children. — We walked out in the afternoon, & found it raw & damp. — We began, by giving our present to poor Ly Lyttelton, a bracelet containing the portraits of our 5 younger Children, & 2 prints of the Children. Then gave p

Amelia Stephenson

Dec 14, 20253 min read

Advent Day 13: Christmas Eve 1849 – Queen Victoria’s Journals

Unknown Person, “The Red Room, Windsor Castle”, 1861, albumen print, RCIN 2103985, Royal Collection Trust/© His Majesty King Charles III 2022, “A cold dull morning, & whilst we were at breakfast, to which Mama came, it began to soon. — I took the Duchess to see the Schoolroom, in which her poor daughter Louise died, now 17 years ago, & then my sitting room. I remember Edward when he was only 3 weeks old, he was born at Bushey, & Gustaf & the other 2 girls, when they were quit

Amelia Stephenson

Dec 13, 20252 min read

Advent Day 12: Christmas Eve 1848 – Queen Victoria’s Journals

Jean Baptiste Van Eycken, “L’Abondance”, signed and dated 1848, oil on panel, RCIN 408986, Royal Collection Trust/© His Majesty King Charles III 2022, “Here is this dear day again which I ever face with such joy & which is full of so many dear recollections. So many sad & dreadful things have happened between last Christmas Eve & this one! May God grant that better & happier times are in store. Though indeed we have had happy times. Took a short walk with the 4 children, then

Amelia Stephenson

Dec 13, 20252 min read

Advent Day 11: Christmas Eve 1847 – Queen Victoria’s Journals

ir Edwin Landseer, “Queen Victoria at Loch Laggan”, Sep-Dec 1847, oil on panel, RCIN 403119, Royal Collection Trust/© His Majesty King Charles III 2022, accessed here. © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 “This festive day, the eve of such blessings & the day when ever since our childhood we have been happy & joyous, in giving & receiving, — I hail with gratitude & joy. I know no day, or rather more anniversary which we celebrate with more feelings of mutual joy & good

Amelia Stephenson

Dec 11, 20252 min read

Advent Day 10: Christmas Eve 1846 – Queen Victoria’s Journals

Franz Xaver Winterhalter, “King Edward VII (1841-1910), when Albert Edward, Prince of Wales”, signed and dated 1846, RCIN 404873, © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust “This happy, most blessed Festival again returns, & with it so many joyful feelings. — The morning was frosty & foggy. — Albert went early out shooting & I busied myself at home, reading, writing, & arranging things. — The weather was still too bad to allow of our going out after

Amelia Stephenson

Dec 10, 20252 min read

Advent Day 9: Christmas Eve 1845 – Queen Victoria’s Journals

Joseph Nash, “Queen Victoria’s Christmas Tree, Windsor Castle, 1845”, signed 1845, pencil, watercolour and bodycolour, RCIN 919807, Royal Collection Trust/© His Majesty King Charles III 2022 “With joy do I hail the return of this blessed festival, & peculiarly so now, that all the Ministerial troubles are over. — After breakfast & writing, I walked with Ly Desart, Albert having gone out hunting. It was a beautifully frosty day. — In the afternoon, Albert took me a short drive

Amelia Stephenson

Dec 9, 20252 min read

Advent Day 8: Christmas Eve 1844 – Queen Victoria’s Journals

Sir Charles Lock Eastlake, “Zia Theresa: The Visit to the Nun”, 1844, oil on canvas, RCIN 405854, Royal Collection Trust/© His Majesty King Charles III 2022 'With joy & gratitude I hail this day’s return, & it has ever been so dear to me & to my dearest Albert! How time flies it seems to me but yesterday, that we celebrated the festival. — After breakfast & attending Prayers, we walked to the Aviary & Frogmore, & it was very cold. On coming home, we found Alice sitting to Win

Amelia Stephenson

Dec 8, 20253 min read

Advent Day 7: Christmas Eve 1843 – Queen Victoria’s Journals

Hermann Winterhalter, “Simplicity”, 1843, oil on canvas, RCIN 404782, Royal Collection Trust/© His Majesty King Charles III 2022 “This happy day has again returned, & it seems but yesterday we had last celebrated it. Time flies too fast. I feel certain that our Heavenly Father through His blessed Son, whose birth we at this time so joyfully & gratefully commemorate, will grant that we may celebrate many more happy Christmas Eves together, & with our Children. — Both Children

Amelia Stephenson

Dec 8, 20252 min read

Advent Day 6: Christmas Eve 1842 – Queen Victoria’s Journals

Charles Wild, “Windsor Castle: The Upper War”, c1819, pencil, watercolour and touches of bodycolour, RCIN 922096, © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust “A clear, bright, frosty day, which I hail with joy on this ever treasured Xmas Eve. We walked out after breakfast. – Read & wrote. – Albert had been out shooting. – In the afternoon, we again took a short walk. – On our return we gave presents to our personal servants, & my maids, & later to Ly

Amelia Stephenson

Dec 6, 20252 min read

Advent Day 5: Christmas Eve 1841 – Queen Victoria’s Journals

William Essex, “Brooch of Victoria, Princess Royal”, 1842, RCIN 4834, © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust “We walked to the Kennels & back after visiting the Children.- After luncheon saw the Judge Advocate who had a great many cases to bring before me, amongst others one of an unfortunate Ld Col: Macpherson, a very distinguished Officer who certainly has behaved in a most disorderly, strange & improper manner, but it seems that his head is af

Amelia Stephenson

Dec 5, 20252 min read

Advent Day 4: Christmas Eve 1840 – Queen Victoria’s Journals

Sir William Ross, “Victoria, Princess Royal”, dated 1840, watercolour, RCIN 913769, © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust “After our breakfast, we went up to the Baby.- Wrote letters, read Despatches & rested. – Albert told me that dear old ‘Dash’ was dead, which grieved me so much. I was so fond of the poor little fellow & he was so attached to me. I had him since the beginning of Feb 1833. – Just before 12 we walked out for 1/2 an hour. It was

Amelia Stephenson

Dec 4, 20252 min read

Advent Day 3: Christmas Eve 1839 – Queen Victoria’s Journals

Russell & Sons, “Queen Victoria’s Audience Room, Windsor Castle”, 1910, RCIN 2100738, Royal Collection Trust/© His Majesty King Charles III 2024 'Wrote letters and my journal. Sat to Ross. – Before 1, Ld Melbourne came to me and stayed an hour. He showed me a letter from Ld Seaford saying he would second the Address & one from Ld Holland about Uncle Sussex. Ld M. laughed as he observed Ld Holland said no doubt the Duke thought he had got a ‘capital pint’ which Ld M. remarked

Amelia Stephenson

Dec 3, 20253 min read