The Young Victoria

by Deirdre Murphy

A vivid portrait of Queen Victoria’s childhood, offering new insights into one of the most celebrated, but often misunderstood, monarchs in British history, 200 years after her birth

This beautiful, extensively researched volume investigates the birth and early life of one of the most familiar British monarchs, Queen Victoria (1819–1901). A wealth of material, including many unexamined sources and unpublished images, sheds new light on Victoria’s youth. Included here are portraits of the queen as princess, childhood diaries and sketchbooks, clothing, jewelery, and correspondence.  
 
Deirdre Murphy paints a vivid picture of Victoria’s early years. Among her most surprising conclusions is the idea that the queen’s personal mythology of a childhood characterized by sadness and isolation is less accurate than is generally thought. Victoria’s personal relationships are brought brilliantly to life, from her affectionate but increasingly suffocating bond with her mother, the Duchess of Kent, to the controlling influence of Sir John Conroy, a man she came to despise, and her courtship with Prince Albert. Lesser-known figures are also explored, including Victoria’s first schoolmaster the Reverend George Davys, her governess Louise Lehzen, and her half-sister Feodora. This fascinating cast of characters enhances our image of Victoria, who emerges as both willful and submissive, fickle and affectionate, and with the explosive temper of her Hanoverian ancestors.

Published in association with Historic Royal Palaces

Exhibition Kensington Palace
(May 24–December 2019)

Genres: History, Royalty, Nonfiction, Biography, British Literature

224 pages, Hardcover

Published May 21, 2019

Reviews

[Moniek Bloks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kensington Palace is celebrating the birth of Queen Victoria within their walls 200 years ago with two exhibitions - Victoria: Woman and Crown and Victoria: A Royal Childhood. Accompanying the exhibition is the exhibitions is the hardcover The Young Victoria by the late Deirdre Murphy who was senior curator at Historic Royal Palaces until her death in 2018.

The Young Victoria by Deirdre Murphy is a beautifully illustrated hardcover about the early years of Queen Victoria's life and it talks about how Queen Victoria made her own childhood seem more melancholy than it perhaps was in reality. It also holds many images I had not seen before making it truly a treasure. In addition, it is very well-written. I can not wait to see the exhibitions.

[Johannes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murphy's book was one of those I've been dying to read for years but price, and distance (I used to live in Buenos Aires, Argentina), prevented me from buying it until this week: I got it second-hand at a newly discovered (to me) bookstore in Amsterdam that has instantly became a favourite.

As for the book, I am glad I made the decision to acquire it. Just the mostly unknown material (drawings, pantings, etc) from her childhood justified owning it. As for the information it provides, it does not add a lot to any English History / Queen Victoria's life aficionado, and yes, I am one of those. My first serious approach to her was through Strachey's bio in 2004, and from then on I basically read everything I could about her and her descendants to the point I can name by heart all her great-grandchildren. Nothing that is useful in daily life but hey! I am proud of myself.

"The Young Victoria" main point is Murphy's dissection of Queen Victoria's childhood, and her very well done presentation of facts versus what Victoria told about those days. Especially since we know by now Queen Victoria was happy to change facts, and rewrite history whenever it suited her victim narrative. In that regard alone it is worth every € I paid for it.

[Carolyn Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book that reexamines Queen Victoria's early life in honour of her 200th birthday in 2019, lavishly illustrated with images of her artwork, correspondence, portraits, possessions and clothing from the Historic Royal Palaces collection and The Royal Collection. Queen Victoria's own recollections of her childhood were melancholy, focusing on her isolation from the wider world at Kensington Palace but Murphy presents a more balanced account from the surviving evidence, discussing seaside holidays, trips to the theatre and travels around Britain. The book provides insights about the nature of royal childhood in the early 19th century as well as the construction of memory as Queen Victoria's own comments on other peoples' recollections and histories of her childhood are included in the text. Highly recommended for anyone interested in Queen Victoria or her times.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book, and provides some fantastic new insights into Victoria's early years! Murphy clearly had quite a it of access to the Royal Collection, and it paid off- there are a lot of these sources that haven't been seen publicly. Loved all of the images and artwork included!

[Kathie Schmid · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful exploration of Victoria's early life though Art and artifacts. I have never read so slowly, mainly because I didn't want to be finished with the book. This is a book to be savored and enjoyed. The late Dierdre Murphy leaves behind a beautiful legacy here!