PERSONAL BIOGRAPHY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4263, 24 January 1901, Page 5

PERSONAL BIOGRAPHY.

3TORY OF A LONG AND MEMOR-1 ABLE LIFE. Two courses are open to anyone who writes of the life of Queen Victoria. He.may consider.her career in conjunction with the marvellous changes md advances and the momentous events ;hat have takein place during her era, Dr he may deal with it from a more personal point of view. For present purposes it will, perhaps, be better to speak most of her as Queen, wife, and mother. PARENTAGE.

Victoria Alexandrina, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland and Empress of India, was born at Kensington Palace, London, on the 24th May, 1819, and was the only child of Edward, Duke of Kent, fourth son of George 111., and the Princess Victoria Mary Louisa, daixghter of Francis, Duke of Saxe-Co-burg, sister of Prince Leopold, afterwards King of the Belgians, and widow of Enrich Charles, Prince of Leiningen. The Queen’s parents, who had for some time been residing abroad, hastened to England in order that their child might be “born a Briton,.” On the 23rd January, 1820, when she was only eight months old, her father died. The Duke of Kent had always taken great interest in every philanthropic movement for the benefit of the people, and at the time of his death he was officially connected with sixty-two societies having for thenobject some noble or religious work. He was. very generous—too generous for his means—aucL he left the Duchess anything but well provided for. Fortunately, his widow had no wish to shine in Court circles; she was quite content to retire to the comparative solitude of KenPalace with her two little girls —for this was her second widowhood, and by her first marriage she had 1 had another daughter, Feodora, two or three years older than "Little Drina.” This

sister, who was afterwards Princess Holienlohe, ,was the tenderest of friends and companions to the Queen during her whole life. The Duchess of Kent survived till the 16th March, 1861, when her death excited deep and general sympathy throughout the country. NAMING THE "MAY FLOWER." Of course, the Royal Family took some interest in the arrival of the little stranger, and her grandfather, the King, wanted her to be named Georgina. Her father wished her to be christened Elizabeth, because it was a favourite name among English people; but her uncle, the Prince Regent, insisted that she should be called. Alexandrina, after the Emperor of Russia. Victoria, her mother's name, was added as an afterthought, but "Little Drina" was her name through all her early years. Until after her accession it was not known that we shouldi have a Queen Victoria. All the documents had been prepared in the name she had hitherto been known by—Alexandrina— but after . her first Council meeting, when called! upon tc sign her name for the first time as sovereign, she wrote "Victoria, R." EDUCATION. The general education of the Princess Alexandrina was directed under her mother's care by the Duchess of Northumberland, wife of the third Duke. Her early years were chiefly spent at Kensington Palace, but she was much a.t Claremont, as the guest of her uncle, Prince Leopold, where the Queen testified that she passed the happiest days oi her childhood. There were frequent Strips, also, to Broadstairs, Ramsgate and jother seaside resorts; and, as the Prin|cess grew in years, visits were paid at country houses of some of the noibility. The Princess was well brought lup ; both as regards her intellect and | her character her training was exj cellent. She- was taught to be self-re-j liant, brave and systematical. Prudence and economy were inculcated on her as Ithough she had been born to be poor. lUpcn the death of the Duchess of Kent, lu.en's minds ran back; to the days when, 1 bereaved of her husband, in the vigour lof his manhood, sha had been suddenly I left, under circumstances of peculiar If difficulty > with the responsibility thrown | upon her of training, up the probable I future Sovereign of England. I "I WILL JIE GOOD."

a. The Baroness Lehzen, the Queen'sK JlGoverness, thus describes her royal -pn-ffi Ipil's. demeanour when she first 'bccamog iaware from a genealogical table of hcrjS Qproximity to the throne : —" 'I see I a m j{| Inearer the throne than I thought.' 'So|| lit is, Madam. 5 I said. After some mo-| j$ mentis the Princess resumed, 'Noiv,g ggmany a child would boast, but theyjl Idon't know the difficulty. There is orach g Ssplendour, but there is more re3ponsi- | ability/' The Princess having lifted Tip g SBthe forefinger of her right hand whiles jljshe spoke, gave me the little hand, say-B ijing, T; will be good. I understand now | ™«why vou jirged me so much to learn, 1 I even 'Latin. -My aunts Augusta anal Mary never did; but you told me Latin! is the foundation of English grammar,! and of all the elegant expressions, *ndl I learned it as you wished it, but I an-1 derstand all better 'now/ and the Prin-I ce3s gave me her hand, repeatinc, 'ig H will.be good.' J) I I AT COURT. I if Towards ilja end of "the reign of Wil-i Hliam IV., he insisted upon the Princess 0

[going to Court sometimes, whether her [mother liked it or not. He paid very [little deference to, and certainly dis-[ [liked, the Duchess of Kent, but he was [charmed with his niece, who was now [next in the line of succession, and he [would have had her at Court constantly [if he could. It was well, however, that; [a girl so young should be a stranger inj [the Court of England, tinder the Sailorl [King. The influence of his gentle, amiable wife, Queen Adelaide, bad helped [to purify it and raise the tone of its life, yet Its moral atmosphere was altogether unhealthy for a pure-minded girt and the Duchess of Kent was wise tc keep her out of it as long as she could. The Princess’s first public appearance at Court was at the drawing-room held b\ Queen Adelaide on the 24th February, 1831. On her coming of age on the 24th May, 1837, a grand State ball was given] lin St. James’s Palace, where, for the! [first time, the Princess took precedence! of her mother. The King had great!;. 1 [desired to live until his niece came oil age—which would be at the age <r | [eighteen —so that she might herself as-J cend the throne without the need of ; { regency under the Duchess of Kent; [ and the wish was gratified. I