Victoria elizabeth ii two queens two lives two fortunes

Конкурс исследовательских работ в рамках

Малой академии наук школьников

Республики Башкортостан

Секция: Лингвистика

Номинация: Английский язык

Исследовательскаяработа

VICTORIA – ELIZABETH II

TWO QUEENS – TWO LIVES – TWO FORTUNES

Шавалеева Элина Борисовна

МБОУ «Школа № 74», 7 A класс

Руководитель:

Тарвердян Марина Петровна, учитель английского языка МБОУ «Школа № 74»

Уфа 2015

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION--------------------------------------------------------------------------3

I.TWO LIVES – TWO FORTUNES----------------------------------------------------4

1.1 Victoria’ Biography -------------------------------------------------------------4

1.2 Elizabeth’s Biography ----------------------------------------------------------6

II. WHAT BRITISH PEOPLE AND MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY SAY ABOUT QUEEN ELIZABETH---------------------------------------------------11

Ш. A COMPARAVE TABLE OF TWO REIGNS-----------------------------------13

CONCLUSION ----------------------------------------------------------------------------21

LIST OF LITERATURE ----------------------------------------------------------------22

APPENDIX---------------------------------------------------------------------------------23

INTRODUCTION

Queen Victoria:

“The important thing is not what they think of me, but what I think ofthem.”

“Great events make me quiet and calm: it is only trifles that irritate my nerves.”

Queen Elizabeth II:

“I know of no single formula for success. But over the years I have observed that some attributes of leadership are universal and they are often about finding ways of encouraging people to combine their efforts, their talents, their insights, their enthusiasm and their inspiration to work together”.

The aim of the research- to compare the reign of the two longest reigning-British monarchs in history: Victoria and Elizabeth II. Victoria reigned 63 years, 7 months and 2 days. Her reign was the longest of any female monarch in history until 9^th September, 2015. On that day Elizabeth II passed the record of her great-great – grandmother, Queen Victoria, as the longest reigning British monarch.

My research task was to learn more about the history of Victoria’s and Elizabeth’s reigns. I wanted to know their biographies, their troubles in reigns and lives in detail.

So I have made up a comparative table according to the following parameters:

full name,

years of life,

house (dynasty),

years of reign,

titles,

family,

Prime – Ministers,

foreign policy,

domestic policy

something interesting.

I. TWO LIVES – TWO FORTUNES

1.1 Victoria’ Biography

Victoria was born at 4.15 a.m. on 24 May 1819 at Kensington Palace in London. Victoria later described her childhood as "rather melancholy".^[7] Her mother was extremely protective, and Victoria was raised largely isolated from other children under the so-called "Kensington System". Victoria shared a bedroom with her mother every night, studied with private tutors to a regular timetable, and spent her play-hours with her dolls and her King Charles spaniel, Dash.^[12] Her lessons included French, German, Italian, and Latin,^[13] but she spoke only English at home.

On 20 June 1837, William IV died at the age of 71, and Victoria became Queen of the United Kingdom. Official documents prepared on the first day of her reign described her as Alexandrina Victoria, but the first name was withdrawn at her own wish and not used again.

The Queen, as an unmarried young woman Victoria was required by social convention to live with her mother, despite their differences over the Kensington System. Her mother was consigned to a remote apartment in Buckingham Palace, and Victoria often refused to meet her. When Victoria complained to her Prime-Minister Melbourne that her mother's close proximity promised "torment for many years", Melbourne said that it could be avoided by marriage.

Albert and Victoria were married on 10 February 1840, in the Chapel Royal of St James's Palace, in London. Victoria was besotted. She spent the evening after their wedding lying down with a headache, but wrote ecstatically in her diary:

“I NEVER, NEVER spent such an evening!!! MY DEAREST, DEAREST DEAR Albert ... his excessive love and affection gave me feelings of heavenly love and happiness I never could have hoped to have felt before! He clasped me in his arms, and we kissed each other again and again! His beauty, his sweetness and gentleness – really how can I ever be thankful enough to have such a Husband!”

Albert became an important political adviser as well as the Queen's companion, replacing Lord Melbourne as the dominant, influential figure in the first half of her life. Victoria's mother was evicted from the palace. Thanks to Albert’s meditation, relations between mother and daughter slowly improved.

During Victoria's first pregnancy in 1840, in the first few months of the marriage, 18-year-old Edward Oxford attempted to assassinate her while she was riding in a carriage with Prince Albert on her way to visit her mother. Oxford fired twice, but either both bullets missed or, as he later claimed, the guns had no shot. The Queen hated being pregnant, she watched breast – feeding with disgust and thought that newborn babies were very ugly. Nevertheless, over the following seventeen years, she and Albert had a further eight children: Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (b. 1841), Alice ( 1843), Alfred (b. 1844),Helena (b. 1846), Louise (b. 1848), Arthur (b. 1850), Leopold (b. 1853) and Beatrice (b. 1857).

Internationally, Victoria took a keen interest in the improvement of relations between France and Britain. She made and hosted several visits between the British royal family and the House of Orleans. She was the first British or English monarch to visit a French one since the meeting of Henry VIII of England and Francis I of France  in 1520. Victoria's first visit to Ireland in 1849 was a public relations success, but it had no lasting impact or effect on the growth of Irish nationalism .

In 1853, Victoria gave birth to her eighth child, Leopold, with the aid of the new analgesic, chloroform. Victoria was so impressed by the relief it gave from the pain of childbirth that she used it again in 1857 at the birth of her ninth and final child, Beatrice, despite opposition from members of the clergy, who considered it against biblical teaching, and members of the medical profession, who thought it dangerous. Victoria may have suffered from post-natal depression after many of her pregnancies. Letters from Albert to Victoria intermittently complain of her loss of self-control. For example, about a month after Leopold's birth Albert complained in a letter to Victoria about her "continuance of hysterics" over a "miserable trifle”.

In March 1861, Victoria's mother died, with Victoria at her side. Through reading her mother's papers, Victoria discovered that her mother had loved her deeply and she was heart-broken. To relieve his wife during her intense and deep grief, Albert took on most of her duties, despite being ill himself with chronic stomach trouble. By the beginning of December, Albert was very unwell. He was diagnosed with typhoid fever  and died on 14 December 1861. Victoria was devastated. She entered a state of mourning and wore black for the remainder of her life. She avoided public appearances, and rarely set foot in London in the following years. Her seclusion earned her the nickname "widow of Windsor".

On 14 December 1878, the anniversary of Albert's death, Victoria's second daughter Alicedied of diphtheria in Darmstadt. Victoria noted the coincidence of the dates as "almost incredible and most mysterious".

In 1887, the British Empire celebrated Victoria's Golden Jubilee. Victoria marked the fiftieth anniversary of her accession on 20 June with a banquet to which 50 kings and princes were invited. The following day, she participated in a procession and attended a thanksgiving service in Westminster Abbey. By this time, Victoria was once again extremely popular.

On 23 September 1896, Victoria surpassed her grandfather George III as the longest-reigning monarch in English, Scottish, and British history. The Queen requested that any special celebrations be delayed until 1897, to coincide with her Diamond Jubilee. The prime ministers of all the self-governing dominions were invited, and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee procession through London included troops from all over the empire.

She died on Tuesday, 22 January 1901, at half past six in the evening, at the age of 81. Her son and successor King Edward VII, and her eldest grandson, Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany, were at her deathbed. Her favorite petPomeranian, Turri, was laid upon her deathbed as a last request. In 1897, Victoria had written instructions for her funeral, which was to be military as befitting a soldier's daughter and the head of the army, and white instead of black. On 25 January, Edward VII helped lift her into the coffin. She was dressed in a white dress and her wedding veil. Her funeral was held on Saturday, 2 February, in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, and after two days of lying-in-state, she was interred beside Prince Albert in Frogmore Mausoleum at Windsor Great Park.

1.2 Elizabeth’s Biography

Elizabeth was born on 21th April , 1926 in the family of Duke York George and Lady Elizabeth Bouz-Lion and King George V was her grandfather. He insisted on his opinion that all members of the royal family must go through the country as much as possible and they must visit hospitals and barracks. Many things that are typical for the Queen of the British monarchy today were laid by Elizabeth’s grandfather, George V. The Queen remembers her grandfather very well, he played with her when she was a little girl. Elizabeth’s family was happy, she grew in the atmosphere of love and peace.

When Lilibet was 8 months, her parents went 6 month voyage to Australia and New Zealand. Elizabeth’s mother was very sad, because she had to live apart from her little daughter, but the Empire efforts were placed above everything. Lilibet’s parents lived according to the rule, which was established by her grandfather. ”You must work a lot, you must go through the country and people must see you”, - his wife, Queen Maria, once said to princess Elizabeth Bouz –Lion, who complained that she had got tired from visiting hospitals. Queen Elizabeth remembered her words forever.

After George’s death, he died when Elizabeth was 10 years old, his elder son Eduard III had to be the King. But Eduard III abdicated from the throne because of his unshakable wish from marring an American woman Walls Simpson, who was divorced twice and that was not allowed for a monarch by the law and traditions. Vanity and self-amorousness are the features that he had. These features are useful for politicians and showmen , but not for a monarch, moreover one can say that they are very dangerous for a constitutional monarchy. So, Elizabeth’s father, Eduard’s younger brother, became King George VI on 11^th December, 1936. The crown was exchanged for love and that made Eduard’s niece the heiress of the throne.

To be a 10 year old Crown princess is a great overturn for a child’s consciousness. But Lilibet preferred bright yellow and pink dresses to strict ones. She also preferred riding horses and walking dogs to studies with teachers. She was risible, naughty, mischievous and lonely. Elizabeth had serene and untroubled childhood but she had to lead rather a secluded life. She had no friends and she did not walk along the streets of the city. The princess was guarded from troubles and agitation. Little Elizabeth did not go to school at all. She studied under the leadership of the teacher of the Eton college. She learned French, History and she made her acquaintance of Constitution. But the most important lesson she received from her father. She watched as her father , George V, with great difficulties had been overcoming his stutter for a long time.

When Elizabeth was 13, she met her future husband Philip. At that time Philip was 17 and he was handsome, tall, slim and he had a decisive look and an irreproachable military bearing. Besides, Prussian, British and Russian monarch’s blood ran in his veins. Their wedding took place in Westminster Abbey on 20^th November, 1947. Among all Philip’s relatives only his mother was allowed to take part in the ceremony of wedding. Before marriage Greek Prince Philip got the title of Duke Edinburgh from his bride’s father King George VI.

Suffered from incurable disease, George VI died on 2^nd February, 1952, when he was 56 years old. That happened when Elizabeth was in Kenya. She learnt that she had become the Queen some days later the death and she sobbed because she adored her father very much. She was proclaimed not only the Queen but also the head of the Anglican Church with the title “Defender of the Faith”. Her coronation took place on 2^nd June, 1953 in Westminster Abbey. The streets of the British capital were festively decorated for the first time after the war. Elizabeth’s children, Prince Charles and Princess Anna, watched their mother, going to Westminster Abbey in a golden coach, from the window of Buckingham Palace.

Princess Anna recollects:”I remember only that I have been a bit angry with my mum because I have not been allowed to go with her. I have very dim memories about that day. I even do not remember if I have gone to the balcony of the palace or have not. Maybe just photos from the coronation that I saw later were engraved in my memory.”

It was one of the first events in the world, where the direct transmission was held from. It was done by Elizabeth’s demand and she wanted all people to be involved in this event. Peter Hennessy, the historian, said with hope at that time:”The country, that has not recovered after the war yet, has breathed with relief. From that time everything will change for the better.” After the coronation the Queen said:”People must see me in order to believe and love me”. Now it is the motto of her family. She remembers her grandfather’s words and she follows his rule.

To be sure in herself in royal attire during the coronation, Elizabeth began to wear the crown three weeks before the coronation and she did it even at breakfast. Some participants of that event affirmed, that Philip made fun of her, looking at the crown after the coronation:”My dear, where did you take this hat?”

According to the etiquette the Prince-Concort must escort the Queen going a half step behind her and bend his head with respect to her hand. In other words he must create a good background for the Queen or serve as a background for Elizabeth. It was a severe test for Philip, a leader born, but he knew what a discipline was and he understood very well that monarchy would be impossible without efficient hierarchy. Elizabeth, trying to console Philip’s self-respect, demanded to give him a rank of Admiral of the Fleet and Field-Marshal of Military-Air Forces. And in 1957 Philip received the title of Prince of Great Britain from Elizabeth’s hands. But as it is known this title is only for members of the royal family by birth.

The man – grandfather, father and husband is the main member in the family for Elizabeth. She was the Queen, but she was the Queen only for people and Government, but first of all she was a wife at home and she yielded to Philip in everything.

There are a lot of evidences that Philip treated his wife quite unmannerly and impudently. “Don’t be a fool!”, he could say these words to her before people’s eyes. Elizabeth had to reconcile herself to Philip’s character, his unceremonious and unmannerly expressions. She did not show her emotions on public and she never permitted herself no one gesture, according to which one can guess about a disagreement with her husband. Elizabeth loved her husband and she gave birth to children for him. They have 4 children: Charles, Anna, Andrew and Edward.

The English proverb says that it’s better to sweeten tea with love and scandals. In 1992 English people could drink boiling water without tea – there were too much love and so many scandals in Britain. Prince Charles parted with Princess Diana, who was chosen by his father Philip. Prince Andrew had a stormy quarrel with his wife Sara and divorced with her. Princess Anna divorced with her husband Captain Mark Philips. A serial of publications about the private life of the royal family appeared in the press at that time. It was found that a lot of butlers were bribed by journalists and they commented their employers’ actions very readily. Elizabeth called this time as Annus- Horribilis – a terrible year. She had not shown what she felt ever before. Mainly all her children disappointed her. Maybe because of that her grandsons William and Harry became Elizabeth’s darlings.

But nowadays royal Family is in peace. People don’t demand to confiscate the Queen’s palaces and property any more, they don’t discuss the necessity to keep the monarchy- there are no questions of that! The Queen doesn’t conflict with the Cabinet of Ministers, she spends more time in her patrimony, walking with husbands, training dogs and looking after horses. Elizabeth remains the inveterate dog-lover and she doesn’t miss any dog-show. Her personal biographer Ben Pimlot once said:”This aristocrat is interested in dogs and horses much more than in art and maybe people”. Now Elizabeth doesn’t like when someone disturbs her and Philip’s solution.

Being the titular head of state she travelled to a lot of different countries, more than any other monarch in the world. There are more than 345forein visits on her account, she visited more than 130 countries, including China, the USA and Russia. Elizabeth is the head of 16 countries in the British Commonwealth of Nations and she has to speak all the time. But she isn’t from those people, who enjoys the sounds of her voice, she feels the sense of relief, when her speech is over.

Members of the royal family have proficiency to lead polite conversations and heart- to-heart talk. These skills are almost lost in our modern life. They must be able to calm, to control very sociable people, to reduce general indignation or tension, to call natural laugh. Thanks to these skills, people, who take part in different arrangements with the participation of persons of the royal family, can feel a direct contact with them and with the British monarchy.

Royal members are very busy on week-days: there are a lot of official visits, visits to state schools, hospitals and barracks, charitable establishments they patronize. And each person needs time and attention. There are 4000 official meetings every year. How do they manage doing that?

Elizabeth is the oldest monarch in the British history. The brilliant jubilee is a very rare event. Such event was only once in 1897 when the 60^th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s accession to the throne was celebrated. At that time the British Empire was in the heyday of fame and Queen Victoria was78. She was much younger than Elizabeth in 2012 when she celebrated her brilliant jubilee. Victoria enjoyed every moment of her celebration. Victoria described the festival: “cheers to the wishes of wellbeing deafened me, people’s faces were shining and all people were filled with joy. I was moved to tears.” More than 200 years later monarchy doesn’t find such an unconditional support.

In 2002 the gold jubilee – the 50^th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s accession to the throne was celebrated. Millions of people went to Mel street where the royal procession took place. The Queen allowed to carry out a pop-concert in Buckingham Palace. The British rock-musician performed the national anthem on the roof of the Palace. But that year was also a very sad one. Elizabeth’s mother and her sister Margaret died in 2002. “It was undoubtedly very hard to lose either mother or sister at the same time. I felt their death keenly but it was necessary to advance. Of course it sounds very commonly, but it helps me to stand a loss.”

Today Elizabeth and Philip are very old people. Such old people cause a pity, but they-admiration. A tall, unmannerly, indelicate and tactless in his statements as in former time man with a steel look and his wife with a charming smile and irreproachable manners. The Queen and her King.

II. WHAT BRITISH PEOPLE AND MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY

SAY ABOUT QUEE ELIZABETH II

Princess Ann, the Queen’s daughter.

“Maybe the ability totalk to people is in gents. You must see your royal citizens not from the window of the coach, and must know that you aren’t isolated from the life.”

“Genes and responsibility play a great role. The Queen must see people and know how they live. And they must see that their problems aren’t indifferent for her.”

Prince William, the Queen’s grandson.

“She is a real professional to keep her cool. She knows how to speak, how to start a conversation with unknown people in some seconds and nothing can stump her. She always thinks over very carefully the way she behaves and she never takes hurried and thoughtless decisions.”

“At first I tried not to disturb, attending different official visits and arrangements, but then I suddenly understood that it was time to act on my own.”

“The Queen managed to keep monarchy in the 21 st century, and she did it in the best way. Monarchy is a mechanism which continuously perfects. It seems to me that me that monarchy must be a mirror reflection of the society and it must move with the times. It’s necessary for its own survival.”

“We shouldn”t forget that she became the Head of the Empire when men predominated over all spheres of life. I can’t imagine how it was difficult for her. I don’t treat with care to any important things, but she, so young, had to take the great responsibility for the country into her own hands.

Prince Harry, the Queen’s grandson.

“The Queen gives us opportunities to follow our own ways. If you make a mistake, she will put you in your place and it will be honestly. But at the same time the Queen let you do your own choice.”

“She behaves with great dignity, a smile doesn’t come off his face. Nobody can expect such behavior from so old person, but she continuous doing what she considers to be her duty.

Elizabeth’s granddaughter.

“When my grandmother enters the room, all people standup, stop talking and look at her. And believe me she really attracts all looks like a magnet. And it provokes my admiration every time.”

Prince Andrew, Elizabeth’s son.

“They said that only 3 persons understand what happens in the country and in the world : the deputy Minister of finances, the Prime Minister and the Queen.”

Robert Leisly, a historian.

“In Elizabeth presence you feel inexpressible excitement, you try not to show yourself strange, you try not to attract her attention to yourself in order to tell your friends about her later. You feel magic of the Queen’s nature and it is impossible to resistthis. Her attention to people is not feigned. She talks to people not to please the press but because she can’t do it differently. But we should not take it as a royal person’s inborn feature. Elizabeth would have never been the Queen, if her uncle had not abdicated from the throne. Journalists follow on the heels, although she does not search their attention. Stars turn on and off but she continues to be in the middle of everybody’s attention for 60 years.”

The oldest Elizabeth’s courter , served in Buckingham Palace for 30 years.

“She has strong will. She is a very responsible and disciplined woman, loving order in everything and controlling her emotions very strictly. And only tumors on her cheek-bones sometimes betray her mood.”

Ben Pimlott, the Queen’s personal biographer.

“In private life the Queen remains the person, who loves country life. This aristocrat is interested in dogs and horses much more than in art and maybe people.”

David Conner, Father Superior of Saint George.

“At the most important and difficult moments of her life she is calm and confident of herself. It seems to me that she takes strength from her faith that, in its turn helps her to overcome all difficulties.”

Peter Hennessy, historian.

“Remember the Cold War which had lasted for more than 40 years. Fortunately, it finished without great military operations and nuclear strokes. And the woman-monarch has gone through all these difficulties from the very beginning to the end.”

Tony Blair, the Prime-Minister (1997-2007).

“I knew that I could discuss any confidential problems or review the situation in the country, in the world and even within the Cabinet of Ministers. Each Prime-Minister encounters with unforeseen questions, circumstances and crises quit often. He must solve such problems with the help of political methods. I often led conversations with her and we spoke about the lessons of the past, about previous Prime-Ministers and how they reacted on occurred events.”

The Queen became older and more experience but her Prime –Ministers became younger. Only Margaret Thatcher was an exception to the rule.

CONCLUSION

There were 39 monarchs in British history and only 5 of them were women. Among them there was Victoria – the greatest political figure of the XIX century and Elizabeth II – a bulwark of monarchy in the XX and the XXI centuries. In spite of the fact, that both of these monarchs reigned in different ages, there are a lot of similarities in their lives. Both of them became the Head of the Kingdom when they were rather young. They had to solve different problems in domestic policy. But international events didn’t allow them to distract from foreign policy. Victoria and Elizabeth II became the symbols of Great Britain and they were loving and loved monarchs.

In contrast to Victoria, Elizabeth’s rights are limited in the country, but she has much more authorities in the world. But in the world of globalization Elizabeth II has faced with the reverse side of popularity. She is the only modern monarch, who is spoken about all the time. And she is spoken and written without ceremony and with criticism.

The foundations of British monarchy are so strong that millions of British people love and respect their Queen. They can’t imagine the world without her, because almost all of them were born and grew up during her reign.

LIST OF LITERATURE

Wikipedia//https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Victoria

The Biography.com//http://www.biography.com/people/queen-victoria-9518355

Wikipedia//https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_II

The Biography.com//http://www.biography.com/people/queen-elizabeth-ii-9286165

Ефим Барбан. Бриллиантовая королева // Общенациональный еженедельный иллюстрированный журнал “Огонек”. – 2012. - №22. – С. 24-25.

Саша Новак. Все могут короли // Журнал “Биография”. – 2011. -№2(75). – С. 28-40.

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