Sunday Snap – Queen Victoria

We were looking at the statue of the man who was credited as creating the modern police force for last week's Sunday Snap. I asked who he was and the answer is

Sir Robert Peel


Pounding the beat with the right answer were Kara, Anne, Cheryl, Mel and Soma.

To conclude what has been a festival of statues this month we have the queen whose reign defined most of the 19th century. Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent was barely 18 when her uncle King William IV died and she became queen. The first official documents she signed were in the name of 'Alexandrina Victoria' but she chose to drop her name after that. She felt it was too German sounding for the queen of Great Britain and Ireland.

During her many decades on the throne she saw a great number of political, social, economic and religious changes. After the death of her beloved husband, Albert, at the age of just 42 Queen Victoria wore black for the rest of her life and withdrew from most aspects of public life. As time went on a growing republican sentiment spread across the country due to the lack of appearances of the queen. However by the time of her golden jubilee her popularity had increased and was a time for public celebration. The same could be said ten years later for her diamond jubilee. As a mark of respect and appreciation drinking fountains, horse troughs, clock towers and statues were erected and funded through public subscription. This one however wasn't very well received. On the day it was unveiled a viewing platform was put in place for invited dignitaries which blocked the view of the large numbers of people who had come to watch. The result was a near riot and it was only by sheer luck that no one was killed. The actual design of the statue didn't go down very well either. The local newspaper reported, “It is that as a work of art it is bad, and as a work of patriotism it is futile.” In The Westminster Review is was described as, “...at once the most pretentious, the most incoherent and the most inept of any sculptural monument one has ever seen in England.” It took so long to complete that Queen Victoria had actually died by the time it was completed and never had the chance to see it for herself. This week's question is

What year did Queen Victoria die?

We were joined last week by Susan and snow fun. Kara has been down to the beach to see a mirror balls and beach huts. It was a Korean barbecue for Anne and family. In Norway Cheryl has been visiting a tiny church. A surprise birthday party proved a success for Mel. Crafty Soma made a new pillow for her husband. In New Zealand Betty found a window sill taken over by nature. Finally, Lisa went on a drive to see the Christmas decorations.

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