She would serve us tea in china cups and explain the history of the stuffed cats and ebony elephants that decorated her front room. She had been a resident of Millway since her house was built, which I believe was in the 1920's. She would recall the days of the Queen Victoria, when Great Britain was the primary power on the world stage and the sun never set on the empire. By todays standards and values, her political views would be seen to be quite unpleasant, but in the context of her age and upbringing, in the 1960's he was simply viewed as a 'bit eccentric'. She was someone who believed that things should be done properly. I have no idea how old she was, but I think her son was in his late 60's.
I can't recall what the event was that started the conversation, but the one thing she said to me that I've always recalled was her description of the mourning for Queen Victoria in 1901. She explained that when she died, the nation went into shock. The majority of the population of London would have heard by word of mouth or by newspaper headlines. There was no radio or TV to broadcast the news. There were no PA systems, so town criers, chaps with loud voices would issue proclaimations. Local Councils and authorities posted posters detailing events and the newspapers would have sobre, stoic headlines.
The Churches filled as memorial services were held. Like Elizabeth, Victoria had been an ever present feature in the life of the nation for the lifetime of most people. Britain had changed beyond recognition in her life. The railways had made the nation accessible, trade boomed and ordinary people could move beyond the hamlets they lived in. Seaside towns boomed as the seaside became a place to spend holidays or days out. The railways had three classes, with the working class using third class carriages, with hard bench seats. Electrical telegraphy had developed and there was an extensive network, which allowed news to travel quickly. The Royal Mail had also developed and the population wrote letters to keep in touch. Perhaps the most famous of all stamps was the Penny Black, which had the face of Queen Victoria on the front. Post boxes bore the legend VR, coins also had the Queens face, so everyone had some idea what she looked like.
Homes, schools, churches, pubs and clubs all had pictures of the Queen on the wall. Most of these would have been grainy and faded, as the Queen had been around such a long time. In most, the Queen cut a sombre image, having been in mourning since her husband died in 1861. Much of the population had only known the Queen in mourning. Her consort, Prince Albert had been a jolly soul. He proposed the building of the Albert Hall, as a focus for great cultural events. By the time it was completed, he'd been buried a decade. The era was successful for Great Britain economically. When the Queen passed, nice, shiny pictures of the new King replaced them. It seemed to many that this signified the new era.
Like King Charles III, Victoria's successor had a very long wait to take the throne. King Edward VII. After the sombre years of Victoria's widowhood, the new King was an altogether more entertaining character. Perhaps his biggest achievement was the Entente Cordial with France, ruling out war between the nations and securing the alliance that ultimately defeated Adolf Hitler.
My elderly neighbour felt that the Edwardian era was the finest in British history. We had a Monarch who was liked, the country was successful and growing and it seemed that war was a thing of the past. Although the country was sad to see the death of Victoria, there was a general feeling that the new King would lead the nation to greater things.
It is interesting to consider contrast, of how the period of Elizabeths reign saw a massive decline in the UK's power and prestige internationally, although ordinary people's lives are far more comfortable and as a nation we are prosperous. Whereas many viewed Edward as a breath of fresh air and were hopeful of the prospects of his new reign, I suspect many don't even consider Charles becoming King as in any way relevant to the UK's prospects as a nation. All we realistically hope is that he'll be a jolly chap who doesn't embarrass us. It would be wonderful if Charles III could fix our broken relationship with Europe.
When I had the conversation about here death and the way it changed the nation, I was unaware of the assasination attempts against Victoria. I was unaware of the antipathy of many in Ireland to her as a result of the famine. It seems bizarre that Queen Victoria was the grandmother of Kaiser Wilhelm, the last German emperor, who lead Germany into war with the UK. When Victoria became Queen, she was single. It would seem bizarre to note that as a single woman, even though she was probably the most powerful person in the world, she had to live with her mother until she was married. I for one am glad that times have moved on.
One interesting thing I recall from the conversation was the old lady's comment. She said "I suppose that when Her Majesty the Queen passes away, we will all watch it on Television and we will not see the crowds that we saw for Victoria". It just shows how you can be completely right and completely wrong at the same time.
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