Breaking Domesticity and Privacy Norms: An Analysis of Queen Victoria's Portraits

Abstract

There is some difficulty in distinguishing between Victoria the woman and Victoria the monarch. History views her as the Queen of Britain during the peak of the Industrial Revolution, the expansion of the British Empire, and the emergence of new political philosophies. She was the first female monarch to have served since the sixteenth century and reminded the British population that a queen can serve just as effectively as a king can, even if she also plays roles as a mother and a wife. Her portraits provide a deeper insight into the more emotional, individual, and personal aspects of Victoria’s lifetime. They display Victoria as being more than a figurehead, as being more than the glue of the kingdom. These portraits show what Victoria’s personal life was like and how she responded to different milestones within it. as a woman, an individual, and a ruler.