Gateway Chronicle 2021

46
power that she could exert over citizens across the
globe. Whilst her views and actions arguably did
not lead to the direct societal suppression of woman
at the time Victoria’s childhood and upbringing
will have influenced her own views on the roles of
women and subsequently the views of others with
the power to make change. Her youth was dominated
by strict rules known as the ‘Kensington
System’ which meant that she was forced to share
a room with her mother and have little to no time
alone. This approach was devised by John Conroy.
When Victoria was 13, her mother and Conroy
took her on a trip to the Midlands with the sole
purpose of showing her off to the public. It is not
surprising that the princess found it exhausting
and became increasingly stubborn. Whilst such a
confined upbringing could have led Victoria to act
out and push against the constricting expectations
of women at the time, Victoria clung to traditional
gender roles. She insisted that she ruled the United
Kingdom because it was her duty, not because
A photograph of Queen Victoria in 1882, taken by
Alexander Bassano
The Gateway Chronicle
she enjoyed the position or possessed the requisite
skills, “We women are not made for governing.” She
wrote. Surely a woman with such influence could
have paved the way for women in power, but instead
Victoria herself restricted the opportunities women
had and in turn their voices in society. For example,
Victoria was utterly opposed at the prospect of
women becoming doctors and was equally horrified
by the campaign for female suffrage. “The Queen,”
she noted, “is most anxious to enlist someone who
can speak and write, etc. Checking this mad, wicked
folly of ‘Woman’s rights’, with all the attendant
horrors, on which her poor feeble sex seems bent…
God created man and woman different – and let
each remain to their own position.”
This is not to say that Queen Victoria’s rule did not
instigate more opportunities for women than her
predecessor. British feminists continued to feature
Victoria in their campaigns, especially in the
struggle to obtain parliamentary vote as her status
made her incredibly invaluable to the cause.
Queen Victoria was head of state and even if
the role was increasingly ceremonial it was
incredibly controversial given that her female
subjects could not even elect a representative,
let alone obtain a university education. Unfortunately,
these campaigners were not aware
of Victoria’s standing on female suffrage
as most of her disapproving remarks only
became widely known after her death in 1901.
Possibly, if they were made aware of this fact,
they would have been more hesitant to praise
her in their campaigns. Although the Queen
may have disapproved in private, she still
aided a powerful argument for women at the
time and ultimately supported the beginning
of true female suffrage, giving women a voice
in society that has had a lasting impact.
It seems as if Victoria’s candid view on women
was not one of support, however her role
as Queen was one of change and reform, as a
woman with overarching power over a large
portion of the globe. Victoria came to be a
supporter of 150 institutions which included
several other charitable organisations. As well
as this Victoria was an astute diplomat and
helped her nine children marry into the royal
families of Europe. She became the Empress
of India to tie the monarchy and Empire
closer together and approved of Disraeli’s