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+Title: Contrasting English Queens
+Date: 2021-12-31
+Tags: Monarch, Victoria, Elizabeth II
+Category: War, Culture, Personality, Politics
+
+Victoria and Elizabeth II are Queens of England, and are related by blood,
+but that is where the similarity ends.
+
+For instance, Queen Victoria was emotional, petty, politically relevant, culturally
+relevant, and a dynamic personality. But Elizabeth II was not.
+
+### Victoria's Contribution to the Historical Record
+#### Written Documentation
+Queen Victory wrote 60 million words in her lifetime.
+
+This includes her
+[journal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Victoria%27s_journals){target="_blank"},
+which fill 122 volumes in the Royal Archive, even after heavy redaction.
+
+Her book
+[Our Life in the Highlands](https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/66173){target="_blank"},
+was a best-seller.
+
+Queen Victoria also constantly wrote letters.
+
+### Victoria's Political Relevance
+#### Grandmother of Europe
+Queen Victoria was known as the
+[Grandmother of Europe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandmother_of_Europe){target="_blank"}.
+
+Having spread her seed amongst Nobility and Royalty all over Europe,
+and engaged in constant coorespondence,
+she had a profound effect upon International Politics. In theory
+this was a key reason why there were no World Wars between
+Napoleon and World War One.
+
+#### British Empire
+It should be noted however, that the British Empire was at war every
+single year of her 64-year reign,
+and it was during her reign that the British Empire
+reached its zenith.
+
+### Victoria's Cultural Relevance
+#### Arts and Culture
+Queen Victoria was a huge patron of the arts, and her legacy included
+[Royal Albert Hall](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Albert_Hall){target="_blank"},
+and statues of Prince Albert were erected all over the British Empire.
+
+#### Customs and Morality
+The court of Victoria and Albert was outwardly morally uptight, and this
+percolated through society. The manner in which Christmas was (and still is)
+celebrated throughout the Western World, was derived from traditions
+begun during the Victorian Era.
+
+Perhaps reflecting their sheltered upbringing, they were quite naive
+and would laugh at any stupid little joke. How annoying!
+
+### Victoria's Dynamic Personality 
+#### Melodrama
+In the [Bedchamber Crisis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedchamber_crisis){target="_blank"},
+of 1839, Government dissolved because Victoria refused to replace
+her ladies-in-waiting with the wives of the new ministers.
+
+In her photos she never smiled. But contemporary reports suggest that Victoria
+did frequently smile, and could really light up the room.
+
+#### Mental Depression
+Queen Victoria suffered from postpartum depression which poisoned her
+relationship with her children and husband.
+
+Upon Prince Albert's
+[untimely death](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert,_Prince_Consort#Illness_and_death){target="_blank"},
+The Queen entered several years of seclusion and wore black for the rest of her life.
+
+#### Temper Tantrums
+Unfortunately, Albert and Victoria frequently squabbled, events which
+usually featured a "scene".
+
+#### Daddy Issues
+As a result of a troubled upbringing with a
+[controlling stepfather](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Conroy){target="_blank"},
+Victoria suffered from "Daddy Issues", and developed obsessive attachments to
+[Prime Minister Melbourne](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Lamb,_2nd_Viscount_Melbourne){target="_blank"},
+[her husband](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert,_Prince_Consort){target="_blank"},
+as well as house servants
+[John Brown](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brown_(servant)){target="_blank"}, and
+[Abdul Karim](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdul_Karim_(the_Munshi)){target="_blank"}.
+
+#### Brattiness
+Victoria's innappropriate favouritism towards Brown and Karim, both foreigners,
+caused resentment amongst her staff.
+
+#### Pettiness
+Queen Victoria made impolite remarks about other people.
+
+### Queen Elizabeth II
+In her youth Elizabeth once outrageously exclaimed, "My Goodness!"
+
+### Conclusion
+Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II were very different from each other.
+
+Thanks for reading!
+
+### Recommended
+I recommend [Rex Factor Podcast](https://rexfactor.wordpress.com/){target="_blank"}.