Fun Fact Fiesta Logo

Discover the Realm of Royalty: Top 13 Fun Facts About Queen Victoria You Can't Miss

illustration of queen-victoria
Dive into the intriguing world of Queen Victoria, as we unveil amusing tidbits and unexpected tales from the life of this iconic British monarch.

1. Queen of Budgeting

As the saying goes, home is where the throne is, and nothing screams "throne" quite like Buckingham Palace, or as we all like to call it, the original Queen's crib: Queen Victoria made history by becoming the first monarch to call Buckingham Palace her home, and with it, she inherited quite the fortune from the duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall, and a £385,000 civil list allowance to boot; her royal savviness even got her father's debts paid off, making her reign supreme in budgeting as well as ruling.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Prince Albert's Royal Rumble

Before he wrote sick beats on a harpsichord, Prince Albert held a veritable Royal Rumble with the arts and sciences: As Queen Victoria's husband, he not only played the organ, sang, and composed his own music, but also took charge of decorating the new Palace of Westminster and founded what would become Imperial College in London.
Source => royal.uk

3. Trailblazing Horsewoman

Holding court in the saddle: Queen Victoria was not just a ruler of the realm, but also a trailblazer in breaking gender norms, as she enthusiastically partook in horse riding and hunting, even hosting her own mixed-gender hunting parties, at a time when such activities were deemed unladylike.
Source => rmg.co.uk

4. Victoria's Animal Kingdom

Move over, Dr. Dolittle: Queen Victoria was the original animal whisperer! With a menagerie that would make Noah envious, she had everything from dogs and cats to birds and even a wallaby: It was her royal fondness for Pomeranian dogs that truly left a legacy, significantly popularizing the breed in England.
Source => elle.com

Royal Baby-Maker Bonanza

5. Royal Baby-Maker Bonanza

Queen Victoria, the unsung inventor of "Nine is a Crowd": Believe it or not, she started off a bit hesitant about having any children but went on to have nine of them. The punchline? Her descendants now hold the keys to five of the world's current monarchies, including Britain, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Denmark, securing her position as one of the most influential royal baby-makers in modern European history.
Source => townandcountrymag.com

6. Victoria's Bromance

When she wasn't ruling the empire, Queen Victoria was swiping right on bromance: Victoria developed an inseparable connection with her Scottish ghillie, John Brown, bestowing upon him the title of the Queen’s Highland Servant, a house at Balmoral, various awards, and even took interest in his ancestral roots – all to commemorate their loyalty and friendship, as depicted in the film "Mrs. Brown".
Source => sundaypost.com

7. Royal Railway Pioneer

All aboard the royal express, where dust and heat are left at the station: On June 13, 1842, Queen Victoria enjoyed a first-class ride on the Great Western Railway from Slough to London Paddington in just 30 minutes, marking the first time a British monarch had ever traveled by train and scoring major points in the royal transportation game thanks to Sir Daniel Gooch and Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who even named the leading vehicles Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Victoria to commemorate this revolutionary voyage.
Source => royal.uk

8. Queen of Mourning Chic

When black became the new black: Queen Victoria transformed mourning fashion trends by making dark hues and somber jewelry chic, thanks to her endless grief after losing Prince Albert. This transition pushed Victorian ladies to accessorize with lockets bearing their dearly departed's portrait, hair, or even teeth, ensuring a bond that truly stood the test of time.
Source => editions.covecollective.org

9. Victoria's Tipples

Taking "drink like a queen" literally, her majesty Queen Victoria had an enviable stash of tipples that would make even the most insatiable inebriates blush with envy: Her palate leaned toward gin and Dubonnet, wine-based aperitifs, dry martinis, and champagne, and she even had her own cask of Bowmore scotch from the renowned Islay distillery, later donated to charity. Her drink of choice was the regal Royal Lochnagar whisky, which she enjoyed neat or mixed with Bordeaux wine - sipping it straight from her Scottish summer home, naturally!
Source => forbes.com

Bathtub Pioneer

10. Bathtub Pioneer

Before sea-dipping was a hipster trend and bikinis ruled the beaches, Queen Victoria took her oceanic plunges in a fancy-shmancy Victorian bathtub on wheels: This 18th-century contraption, dubbed the bathing machine, featured a pitched roof, dressing rooms, and even a plumbed-in WC, allowing Victoria to maintain modesty and privacy while taking a dip at her summer retreat on the Isle of Wight, starting in 1847. The bathing machine craze eventually gave rise to ad-clad billboards, with brands like Pears and Sunlight soap riding the wave of popularity.
Source => comestepbackintime.wordpress.com

11. OG Queen of Darkness

Victoria, the OG Queen of Darkness: Though she may have been the trendsetter who turned everlasting mourning into fashion goals across Victorian Britain, it wasn't an all-black affair for her royal wardrobe. Contrary to popular belief, Queen Victoria did not confine herself to mourning black forever, but simply continued rocking mourning attire even while in "half-mourning," allowing her to mix in some dazzling colors and an array of lush fabrics.
Source => eternalgoddess.co.uk

12. Prolific Royal Writer

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then Queen Victoria was a walking encyclopedia in search of an easel: Over her lifetime, she penned a staggering 2,500 words per day in letters and journal entries, with a total output that would fill an estimated 700 volumes.
Source => dailymail.co.uk

13. Ghost-Husband Guidance

Who ya gonna call? Ghost-husband! Queen Victoria dabbled in the supernatural by seeking the otherworldly guidance of her dead spouse, Prince Albert: John Brown, her trusted confidant, assisted Victoria in séances, where messages were allegedly relayed through mediums, including a 13-year-old who claimed direct contact with the late prince.
Source => thedailybeast.com

Related Fun Facts