The Most Important Figure in British History in the 19th Century
Queen Victoria in the 19th Century
We know that the 19th century was the Victorian Era in Britain. At that time, Queen Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria) was the Queen of Britain. Her reign lasted from 1819 to 1901. She was an important figure of the 19th century. Because she was the queen in the period of Enlightenment and Reform in the 19th century. She had a powerful character as a queen of Britain. The 19th century was a time of development for Britain and it was reigned by Queen Victoria we can say that she was like a symbol of pride for Britain. She saw the expansion and development of Britain. She was both queen of Great Britain and mother of 9 children. I mean she was strong and brave. She had a political marriage with Prince Albert of Saxe Coburg and Gotha. Prince Albert was also an important character at that time. Since they had tried to solve problems together.
Moreover, many sources say that she was a conservative queen. Once, the tax increased because of the Chartist movement and Queen Victoria and Prince Albert handled this problem in 1850. So, they revised the law and the civil servants’ salaries were regulated. Furthermore, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert wanted the education and health to be under the state control. We can understand that Victoria attached importance to education. By the way, she was well-educated.
According to sources, she had 9 children. Eight of her children got married in European monarchies. In the same way, her grandchildren did so. Thus, Queen Victoria had connections with the royal families of Europe. It means that England began to globe at that time. This family connection with Europeans was a good point for Britain. It was like an opportunity. Furthermore, some of her grandchildren became the Empress of other countries. So, the power of Great Britain began to grow and expand around the world in the 19th century. Consequently, she took the name of “Grandmother of Europe”.
In addition, Queen Victoria declared herself as Empress of India in 1876. As we know, India was an important commercial zone and also overpopulated and still is. At that time, the British wanted to get important ports in India so they would have made commercial gains. This means that Britain grew and expanded both as a seaside and commercially. In that case, thanks to Queen Victoria, the British settled In India.
All in all, in my opinion, Queen Victoria was the most important figure in British history in the 19th century. The Victorian Era was a time of industrial growth and social development. Queen Victoria was loved by the people. Thanks to Queen Victoria, her ancestry spread around the world. This is important for the British domination and nobility. In conclusion, Queen Victoria ruled Britain well and gained the love of the people like Queen Elizabeth. I think if the ruler manages the country well, it is a figure that needs to be taken as an example in the eyes of the people. So, she is an important person in British history.