There were several requests from both George IV and William IV to have the young princess Alexandrina Victoria brought up in the royal household, whilst the duchess of Kent reviled the idea of allowing her daughter out of her sight. What would've it have meant if the future Victoria were brought up "at court" as opposed to cloistered away at Kensington?
WI: No Kensington System
- Thread starter JonasResende
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Perhaps Victoria has a bit more interest in maintaining the Monarch's authority instead of letting Parliament run everything?
How might Parliament react to "undue meddling" by a monarch? AFAIK William IV's actions in this regard didn't go over too well...
True, but Victoria isn't William IV. She was stubborn, from all accounts of her that I've read, so it might not go over so well. Chartist Revolution perhaps?
I wonder if being raised at court would affect Victoria's personality somewhat. OTL she took a dislike to several of her PMs and it showed in her dealings with them (Bedchamber Crisis). If she's at court she's more likely to have to learn to deal with people she doesn't like. Another difference might be her relationship with her mother, since her overbearing nature and Conroy's influence, would be diluted by her royal uncle's impact. Not only that, but she'd certainly be less isolated by being shut away at Kensington.
Might it also change who she marries? Albert might not seem so appealing in this scenario?
Might it also change who she marries? Albert might not seem so appealing in this scenario?
I agree that whatever happens she will likely be socialized better. From what I've read, that was one of Victoria's bigger flaws as an adult. I suspect being at court will make her a more confident and well rounded human, but what impact that would have on her reign is pure guess on my part. I think Albert is still fairly likely as a husband for her simply because he had good qualifications in a very limited pool of candidates.
I agree on the social part. From what I've read she was a pretty shy individual outside of her monarchical acting.
The reason I asked about Albert is with her being more sociable and rounded, as well as being under the sway of her uncle (who favored either a Dutch or a Hannoverian match for her from what I can make out), might she not ascend the throne already married or at least engaged to be married as soon as the coronation's over and done with (a reverse George III)
Sorry to bump this but I just came across this thread and wanted to comment. The best way to avoid the Kensington system is to keep the Duchess of Kent from getting custody of Victoria. From what I've read in We Two by Gillian Gill (good book by the way for anyone interested in Victoria and Albert's early lives and marriage) Edward, Duke of Kent was basically bullied/tricked into signing a will that granted full custody to his wife Victoire, Duchess of Kent. But before his death the Prince Regent sent a letter to his brother requesting custody of Victoria for either himself or one of their brothers. Unfortunately the letter arrived to late. So either have Kent not sign the will prepared, which would automatically leave Victoria under her father's nearest male relative (George IV) or give custody to a different brother, like Clarence or Sussex.
In fact We Two goes on to speculate what Victoria's life would be like if she grew up as a Hanoverian rather than a Saxe-Coburg. A Hanoverian Victoria would likely be a patron of the arts, not unlike her uncle George IV, have had a better education, better social skills thanks to growing up at court and among her cousins (legitimate and illegitimate) and a better knowledge of her powers as Sovereign. As for marriage, hard to know. She could end up with Prince George of Cambridge, William IV's candidate (George of Cumberland/Hanover was dismissed due to blindness) but if she still marries Albert I can't see him being able to dominate her like he did OTL. Would definitely be a much more volatile marriage.
No worries.
I didn't know about the will story, in fact, I wasn't even aware there was a will (even my biography of Victoria doesn't mention it), but a quick google search says there was (as to the tricking, I wouldn't be surprised TBH, if the duchess and Conroy/her brother did so (there was a cartoon going around at some point in Victoria's childhood with her seated on Leopold's knee, the English crown slipping down over her eyes, and her mother seated on the English throne with Conroy at her side IIRC)).
I confess to the fact that I don't like Albert (or any of the Coburgs) much, too often they seem to have usurped the legitimate authority of their spouse (Albert and Ferdinand - although this might've helped if the Coburg match for Queen Isabel II had gone through, IDK) by simply "forcing" her into childbed - Maria II of Portugal died in childbirth after 11 children (and Albert sort of made sure that Victoria was in a similar state for most of their marriage). I'd would be very interested to see what way German academican Albert would handle a more "English, Hannoverian" Victoria. I agree that he wouldn't be able to dominate her (proof is seen in his almost abusive relationship with her, in private letters he writes to Ernst "Viktoria is doing very well, she only had two tantrums today" as if he were writing of a child rather than his wife and sovereign; he'd lock himself away as a tactic to get what he wanted, for instance).
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Such changes in the British matrimony would have a lot of impacts on Europe too. For instance I could see a different choice being made for the crown of Belgium, among others. Maybe Leopold would directly take Greece if it's offered because he'd know he would'nt get a better offer...
Definitely agree with you on the Coburgs. They were provincial upstarts who thought themselves better than everyone else but only succeeded in getting their adopted countries to hate them. Personally I think Victoria would be better off without Albert: if she picks him TTL its going to be a disaster for them both, but in this case especially Albert. He'd be a glorified breeding stud.
This one's unlikely. Leopold wasn't chosen because of Victoria, more because of his family links, along with his status as Princess Charlotte's widower. Not likely to change in this scenario.
Highly unlikely. The Cartists never all that influential and its not like Victoria would be an absolute monarch.
Wasn't Leopold a compromise candidate between France and the UK?
Oh the irony. Bismarck's remark about them being the studfarm of Europe might be seen as far more barbed in that situation.
I realize that this is perhaps an extremely outside chance, but Duke Karl III of Brunswick (or his brother Wilhelm VI, can't remember which one) displayed an interest in marriage to Victoria (I think George IV also considered it when she was merely a king's niece rather than his potential successor). Naturally the duchess of Kent HATED the idea both because of the Rothschild-clannishness of the Coburgs and because it was her hated brother-in-law who'd suggested it.
Could we see more of an interest in that match? I realize he'd be nearly two decades older than her, but even after her marriage to Albert Victoria still found the duke dashing and handsome (especially since he was physically the opposite of Albert, dark haired, dark eyed, tall and moustachioed).