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Queen Victoria
The story of what happened at Kensington Palace on the morning of June 20, 1837, is probably as well known in England as the tale of Cinderella. At the early hour of six o'clock the eighteen-year-old Victoria was awakened and told that there were visitors to see her. With her fair straight hair falling to her shoulders and a cotton wrap over her nightgown, she went downstairs--to learn that she was a Queen of England.
At the time of Victoria's birth, few people thought that the tiny princess would someday rule Great Britain. Yet the round-cheeked, blue-eyed girl who succeeded William IV to the throne proved to be a great queen, and her 64-year reign is one of the most celebrated in English history.
Noel Streatfield has written an absorbing account of the life and times of Victoria. In it appear the many colorful persons who played an important part in Victoria's life -- her suspicious, foolish mother, her strict German governess, her uncle and self-appointed adviser, King Leopold of Belgium, and the handsome Prince Albert whom she loved so dearly and with whom she shared many happy years.... (Excerpt from inside front dust jacket cover) 1st edition.
At the time of Victoria's birth, few people thought that the tiny princess would someday rule Great Britain. Yet the round-cheeked, blue-eyed girl who succeeded William IV to the throne proved to be a great queen, and her 64-year reign is one of the most celebrated in English history.
Noel Streatfield has written an absorbing account of the life and times of Victoria. In it appear the many colorful persons who played an important part in Victoria's life -- her suspicious, foolish mother, her strict German governess, her uncle and self-appointed adviser, King Leopold of Belgium, and the handsome Prince Albert whom she loved so dearly and with whom she shared many happy years.... (Excerpt from inside front dust jacket cover) 1st edition.
184 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1958
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About the author
Noel Streatfeild
164 books613 followersMary Noel Streatfeild, known as Noel Streatfeild, was an author best known and loved for her children's books, including Ballet Shoes and Circus Shoes. She also wrote romances under the pseudonym
Susan Scarlett
.
She was born on Christmas Eve, 1895, the daughter of William Champion Streatfeild and Janet Venn and the second of six children to be born to the couple. Sister Ruth was the oldest, after Noel came Barbara, William ('Bill'), Joyce (who died of TB prior to her second birthday) and Richenda. Ruth and Noel attended Hastings and St. Leonard's Ladies' College in 1910. As an adult, she began theater work, and spent approximately 10 years in the theater.
During the Great War, in 1915 Noel worked first as a volunteer in a soldier's hospital kitchen near Eastbourne Vicarage and later produced two plays with her sister Ruth. When things took a turn for the worse on the Front in 1916 she moved to London and obtained a job making munitions in Woolwich Arsenal. At the end of the war in January 1919, Noel enrolled at the Academy of Dramatic Art (later Royal Academy) in London.
In 1930, she began writing her first adult novel, The Whicharts, published in 1931. In June 1932, she was elected to membership of PEN. Early in 1936, Mabel Carey, children's editor of J. M. Dent and Sons, asks Noel to write a children's story about the theatre, which led to Noel completing Ballet Shoes in mid-1936. In 28 September 1936, when Ballet Shoes was published, it became an immediate best seller.
According to Angela Bull, Ballet Shoes was a reworked version of The Whicharts. Elder sister Ruth Gervis illustrated the book, which was published on the 28th September, 1936. At the time, the plot and general 'attitude' of the book was highly original, and destined to provide an outline for countless other ballet books down the years until this day. The first known book to be set at a stage school, the first ballet story to be set in London, the first to feature upper middle class society, the first to show the limits of amateurism and possibly the first to show children as self-reliant, able to survive without running to grownups when things went wrong.
In 1937, Noel traveled with Bertram Mills Circus to research The Circus is Coming (also known as Circus Shoes). She won the Carnegie gold medal in February 1939 for this book. In 1940, World War II began, and Noel began war-related work from 1940-1945. During this time, she wrote four adult novels, five children's books, nine romances, and innumerable articles and short stories. On May 10th, 1941, her flat was destroyed by a bomb. Shortly after WWII is over, in 1947, Noel traveled to America to research film studios for her book The Painted Garden. In 1949, she began delivering lectures on children's books. Between 1949 and 1953, her plays, The Bell Family radio serials played on the Children's Hour and were frequently voted top play of the year.
Early in 1960s, she decided to stop writing adult novels, but did write some autobiographical novels, such as A Vicarage Family in 1963. She also had written 12 romance novels under the pen name "Susan Scarlett." Her children's books number at least 58 titles. From July to December 1979, she suffered a series of small strokes and moved into a nursing home. In 1983, she received the honor Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). On 11 September 1986, she passed away in a nursing home.
She was born on Christmas Eve, 1895, the daughter of William Champion Streatfeild and Janet Venn and the second of six children to be born to the couple. Sister Ruth was the oldest, after Noel came Barbara, William ('Bill'), Joyce (who died of TB prior to her second birthday) and Richenda. Ruth and Noel attended Hastings and St. Leonard's Ladies' College in 1910. As an adult, she began theater work, and spent approximately 10 years in the theater.
During the Great War, in 1915 Noel worked first as a volunteer in a soldier's hospital kitchen near Eastbourne Vicarage and later produced two plays with her sister Ruth. When things took a turn for the worse on the Front in 1916 she moved to London and obtained a job making munitions in Woolwich Arsenal. At the end of the war in January 1919, Noel enrolled at the Academy of Dramatic Art (later Royal Academy) in London.
In 1930, she began writing her first adult novel, The Whicharts, published in 1931. In June 1932, she was elected to membership of PEN. Early in 1936, Mabel Carey, children's editor of J. M. Dent and Sons, asks Noel to write a children's story about the theatre, which led to Noel completing Ballet Shoes in mid-1936. In 28 September 1936, when Ballet Shoes was published, it became an immediate best seller.
According to Angela Bull, Ballet Shoes was a reworked version of The Whicharts. Elder sister Ruth Gervis illustrated the book, which was published on the 28th September, 1936. At the time, the plot and general 'attitude' of the book was highly original, and destined to provide an outline for countless other ballet books down the years until this day. The first known book to be set at a stage school, the first ballet story to be set in London, the first to feature upper middle class society, the first to show the limits of amateurism and possibly the first to show children as self-reliant, able to survive without running to grownups when things went wrong.
In 1937, Noel traveled with Bertram Mills Circus to research The Circus is Coming (also known as Circus Shoes). She won the Carnegie gold medal in February 1939 for this book. In 1940, World War II began, and Noel began war-related work from 1940-1945. During this time, she wrote four adult novels, five children's books, nine romances, and innumerable articles and short stories. On May 10th, 1941, her flat was destroyed by a bomb. Shortly after WWII is over, in 1947, Noel traveled to America to research film studios for her book The Painted Garden. In 1949, she began delivering lectures on children's books. Between 1949 and 1953, her plays, The Bell Family radio serials played on the Children's Hour and were frequently voted top play of the year.
Early in 1960s, she decided to stop writing adult novels, but did write some autobiographical novels, such as A Vicarage Family in 1963. She also had written 12 romance novels under the pen name "Susan Scarlett." Her children's books number at least 58 titles. From July to December 1979, she suffered a series of small strokes and moved into a nursing home. In 1983, she received the honor Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). On 11 September 1986, she passed away in a nursing home.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 25, 2023
Loved this introduction into the life of Queen Victoria. Highly recommend it.
October 29, 2025
Good biography of Queen Victoria for children, hitting on all the major events of her childhood, accession, and long reign. There were numerous insertions of author opinion or speculation, so I knocked it down to 3 stars.
February 12, 2018
Well done biography of Queen Victoria's life.
December 31, 2020
3.25 stars. The book covers her life thoroughly. However, it does not seem to be very stirring or helpful.
September 19, 2024
An old-fashioned, sanitized, and condensed biography of the good Queen. I don't think this style of nonfiction can hold a kid's attention in the 21st century.
June 26, 2012
I've always been more partial to reading youth biographies than adult ones, and I love Landmark's approach. Their biography about Cleopatra I read as many times as my favorite novels, because they manage to mix enough interesting details with fact to make it feel almost as if you're reading a novel anyway.
Queen Victoria was no exception. Excellent historical details - including excerpts from her diary covering many interesting periods of her life such as her birthday ball, her first meeting with Albert, her coronation and her wedding - were very engaging and easy to read.
I TRULY enjoyed this book!
Queen Victoria was no exception. Excellent historical details - including excerpts from her diary covering many interesting periods of her life such as her birthday ball, her first meeting with Albert, her coronation and her wedding - were very engaging and easy to read.
I TRULY enjoyed this book!
October 13, 2013
I found this disappointing. Streatfeild could do better than the writing in this book. It tells the story perfectly nicely, allowing for the times it was published and the intended audience. The story was well done. It is just that this author could do better than well done. It gets all the basic points out, especially why she is still important even today. I always considered the World Landmark series to be well written but they are slowly disappearing from libraries, because of dated material, changing times and styles of writing. I did find the coverage of Prince Albert surprisingly sophisticated and well done as well as the brief defense of the Prince of Wales.
September 3, 2011
I'm enjoying this, because Streatfeild was one of my favorite authors when I was young. It's clearly written for a young audience, and a patriotic one, but doesn't shy away from describing some of the less admirable qualities of the Duke and Duchess of Kent (Victoria's parents) or the palace intrigue. I recommend for any Streatfeild fan, and any Victoria completist.
Read
May 15, 2012Clara and I are enjoying this immensely. Thanks so much, Kathleen, for recommending it and passing it on to us.
March 5, 2016
A little condensed, but interesting biography.
March 14, 2012
Wonderful, light read about Queen Victoria
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews