Queen Victoria uses the telephone for the first time

Queen Victoria’s reign coincided with the advancement of countless technologies, including: photography, the flushing toilet and the lightbulb. But did you know that Queen Victoria was the first European Monarch to use a telephone? That’s right, in January 1878, Alexander Graham Bell travelled across the Solent to Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, where he performed a historic demonstration of the telephone for the Queen.

In December 1877, Lyon Playfair sent a letter to Alexander Graham Bell ‘suggesting that Her Majesty might like to see your telephone in operation’ and how he thought ‘that this would be regarded by you as the inventor in the light of a compliment and that in England it would promote the success of your undertakings’. Bell was understandably overjoyed by this and soon an audience had been arranged for 14th January.

Just before the demonstration took place, Bell and his small team traveled to Osborne House, where he began connecting wires from the telephone in the Council Room to another at Osborne Cottage (an overflow guest house on the Osborne estate, which later became the home of Princess Beatrice). The telephone was, of course, much simpler than the ones we are used today and mainly consisted of a large tube-like ear/mouth piece, which was moved simultaneously between the two for both listening and talking. There would have been another receiver like this on the other end of the line, much like the two cups on a string ‘walkie-talkie’ we all made as a kid.

At 9:30 in the evening of 14th January, following the Queens dinner, Bell was called to the Council Room, where the Queen was waiting with her entourage. Before putting the telephone into use, Bell explained the origin and development of his invention. In her journal, the Queen described how ‘a Professor Bell explained the whole process, which is most extraordinary. It had been put in communication with Osborne Cottage, & we talked with Sir Thomas & Mary Biddulph, also heard some singing quite plainly. But it is rather faint, & one must hold the tube close to one’s ear.” The lady singing had been Kate Field, who sang ‘Kathleen Mavourneen’, Shakespeare’s ‘Cuckoo Song’, ‘Coming through the Rye and read an epilogue from ‘As You Like It’ to finish off. However, as the performance was about to begin Queen Victoria happened to be looking away so Bell touched the Queens arm to gain her attention before passing her the receiver. Luckily the stern Queen smiled at his action.

While the Queen was already impressed by her newest experience, Bell wanted to wow her even more by making calls further a field. Having set up links with Cowes, Southampton and London, Major Webber, one of the heads of the telegraph system at the West Cowes Post Office, was in charge of directing the calls to each location. After Osborne Cottage, the Queen was put through to Sir William Preece in Southampton. During this call, the Queen was serenaded by bugles before hearing two songs played on an organ on the line to Mr Wilmot in London. Upon returning the call to Cowes, Webbers four daughters sang to three royal party so well that the Queens seventh child, Prince Arthur, requested an encore!

Like with all new technology, there were of course some technical faults. When calling Southampton for the second time, the line unexpectedly failed (certainly not what you want when trying to impress the Queen!). However, Victoria was so enthralled by what she was witnessing that she waited up until it was eventually fixed at midnight. Unfortunately, by the time it was fixed, the singers had given up waiting and had gone home but Preece was on hand to save the day. Not wanting to disappoint his Queen, the gentleman decided to hum her the national anthem. Queen Victoria wasn’t impressed by his decision and said ‘It is the National Anthem, but it is very badly played!’

The following day, another demonstration was held in the Council Room, connecting the Council Room to Osborne Cottage and Cowes. Although the Queen wasn’t in attendance, Prince Arthur and Princess Beatrice, along with other members of the household, filled the small room to witness the experiment again. Thankfully this time all went smoothly and numerous encores were played.

Luckily the technical glitch hadn’t put the Queen off and a few days later, Biddulph sent Bell a follow-up letter describing how ‘grateful and surprised the Queen was at the exhibition of the telephone here on Monday evening. Her Majesty desires me to express her thanks to you and the ladies and gentlemen who were associated with you on the occasion. The Queen would like, if there is no reason against it, to purchase the two instruments which are still here with the wires, & c., attached. Perhaps you will be so kind as to let me know to whom the sum due should be paid.’

Two weeks later, Bell replied to the letter, stating how ‘I feel highly honoured by the gratification expressed by Her Majesty and by her desire to possess a set of telephones. The instruments present in Osborne are merely those supplied for ordinary commercial purposes, and it will afford me much pleasure to be permitted to offer the Queen a set of Telephones to be made expressly for Her Majesty’s use.’

Bell stuck by his word and sent the Queen two telephones with receivers made out of ivory and gold, free of charge. Somehow, those two letters between Biddulph and Bell were leaked to both local and national newspapers. From there, the telephone was being installed all around Britain. By 1897, all of Queen Victorias residences were connected to a telephone line. It’s said that Victoria would often personally use her telephone to contact her family. Princess Alexandra, wife of Prince Albert Edward, once complained how the telephone connecting her at Abergeldie to Balmoral Castle never stopped ringing when the Queen was in residence. Despite her fascination with the telephone, Victoria found the practice impersonal and refused to have one installed in her personal apartments.

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