Inside Victoria & Albert's Saucy Marriage | Victorians Uncovered | Real Royalty
Real Royalty・30 minutes read
Queen Victoria's public persona contrasted with her passionate love life with Prince Albert, despite societal pressures and tragedies. Marion Evans, writing as George Eliot, faced societal judgment for her unconventional relationships but found support and eventual marriage after years of insecurity and fame.
Insights
- Queen Victoria's public image as disapproving and prudish contrasted sharply with her passionate love life with Prince Albert, showcasing a complex duality between her role as a symbol of respectability and her personal desires for intimacy and pleasure.
- The lives of Marion Evans (George Eliot) and Caroline Norton highlight the societal constraints and challenges faced by women in the Victorian era, showcasing struggles with relationships, societal expectations, and the quest for independence and recognition, ultimately culminating in unconventional choices and sacrifices that shaped their legacies.
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Recent questions
What was Queen Victoria's public image like?
Queen Victoria's public image at the end of her reign was disapproving and prudish, reflecting a joyless world where dominant men provided little pleasure to submissive women, especially in sexual relationships. Despite this grim portrayal, Victoria herself was a passionate lover, finding enduring power in the fun she and Albert shared in bed, setting an inspiring example for the nation.
How did Victoria's early life influence her reign?
Victoria's early life was surrounded by sleazy uncles and aunts, leading to a peculiar situation with no legitimate cousins due to their illegitimate children. The rise of evangelical Christianity clashed with Victoria's sensual pleasures, pushing her advisors to mold her into a symbol of respectability and virtue. Despite this upbringing, Victoria ascended the throne at 18, expressing her good intentions in her diary while balancing her moral upbringing with a passionate nature.
What impact did Victoria's marriage to Prince Albert have?
Victoria's marriage to Prince Albert, despite initial doubts, blossomed into a passionate love story, with Albert determined to break the cycle of troubled marriages in his family. However, their delight in their marriage was marred by frequent pregnancies due to lack of contraception, causing frustration and interference with Victoria's sexual freedom. This perfect marriage, while politically advantageous and adored by the public, created a standard that oppressed those whose relationships did not align with the ideal, like Caroline Norton.
Who was Marion Evans and what challenges did she face?
Marion Evans, later known as George Eliot, rejected her evangelical faith and moved to London to lead a bohemian life mixing with artists and writers. She met George Lewis, a philosopher and poet, and their relationship faced societal condemnation due to Lewis already having a wife. Marion decided to live with Lewis as his wife, risking ostracism from society and her family. Despite her fame as George Eliot, Marion felt insecure and resentful of her single status, eventually marrying John Cross in 1880 after relying on him for support.
How did Queen Victoria cope with Prince Albert's death?
After Prince Albert's death, Queen Victoria mourned intensely, keeping reminders of him in all their homes and maintaining his presence in her daily routines. Seeking solace outside marriage, she turned to John Brown, who became her devoted servant despite scandalous rumors surrounding their relationship. This contrasted with Marion Evans, who faced loneliness and devastation after the death of George Lewis, eventually marrying John Cross for support. Victoria's enduring image of solitude despite her 20-year marriage to Prince Albert stood in stark contrast to the fates of Marion and Caroline Norton, who both died shortly after their weddings.
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Summary
00:00
"Victoria's Passionate Love Defies Royal Expectations"
- Queen Victoria's favorite pose at the end of her reign was disapproving and prudish, reflecting a joyless world where dominant men provided little pleasure to submissive women, especially in sexual relationships.
- Despite the grim image, Victoria herself was a passionate lover, finding enduring power in the fun she and Albert shared in bed, setting an inspiring example for the nation.
- Victoria's early life was surrounded by sleazy uncles and aunts, leading to a peculiar situation with no legitimate cousins due to their illegitimate children.
- The rise of evangelical Christianity clashed with Victoria's sensual pleasures, pushing her advisors to mold her into a symbol of respectability and virtue.
- Victoria ascended the throne at 18, expressing her good intentions in her diary while balancing her moral upbringing with a passionate nature.
- Lady Flora Hastings' scandal and tragic death due to cancer after a false pregnancy accusation tarnished Victoria's reputation and led to public backlash.
- Victoria's marriage to Prince Albert, despite initial doubts, blossomed into a passionate love story, with Albert determined to break the cycle of troubled marriages in his family.
- Caroline Norton's violent marriage contrasted sharply with the idealized royal partnership, leading to scandal and legal battles with Prime Minister Lord Melbourne.
- Victoria's delight in her marriage to Albert was marred by frequent pregnancies due to lack of contraception, causing frustration and interference with her sexual freedom.
- Victoria's perfect marriage, while politically advantageous and adored by the public, created a standard that oppressed those whose relationships did not align with the ideal, like Caroline Norton.
22:33
"Victorian women defy societal norms for love"
- Caroline campaigned for separated women to have the right to see their children and used her artistic talents to earn a living.
- Marion Evans rejected her evangelical faith and moved to London to lead a bohemian life mixing with artists and writers.
- Marion met George Lewis, a philosopher and poet, and their relationship faced societal condemnation due to Lewis already having a wife.
- Marion decided to live with Lewis as his wife, risking ostracism from society and her family.
- The 1857 divorce law allowed for absolute and final divorces without the need for a separate act of parliament, offering an escape from unhappy marriages.
- Prince Albert was distressed by his son Bertie's affair, which led to his death, believed to be caused by the shock of Bertie's actions.
- Victoria mourned Albert's death intensely, keeping reminders of him in all their homes and maintaining his presence in her daily routines.
- Marion Evans, living openly with George Lewis, wrote her first major novel under the pseudonym George Eliot to protect her reputation.
- Victoria sought solace outside marriage with John Brown, who became her devoted servant despite scandalous rumors surrounding their relationship.
- Marion and Lewis bought a house in Surrey, but Lewis's illness led to his death, leaving Marion devastated and lonely.
43:33
Famous authors' unconventional marriages and untimely deaths.
- Despite her fame as George Eliot and the author of "Middlemarch," Marion Evans felt insecure and resentful of her single status, eventually marrying John Cross in 1880 after relying on him for support.
- Marion's marriage to John Cross caused a stir among her friends, who had accepted her previous relationship with Lewis but found her marriage unconventional and unorthodox, leading to a reconciliation with her estranged brother Isaac after 25 years.
- Another woman, Caroline Norton, found respectability through marriage to Sir William Sterling Maxwell after a sham marriage, seeking anonymity and respectability, but both Marion and Caroline died shortly after their weddings, contrasting with Queen Victoria's enduring image of solitude despite her 20-year marriage to Prince Albert.
