Like many women of her time, Queen Victoria spent her free time enjoying crafts such as painting and needlework. Several examples of the Queen’s handicrafts still survive today, including this gorgeous pair of intricately embroidered shoes, which was given by the Queen to her third child, Princess Alice, between 1843-1848.
Judging by the symmetry in the two shoes, it is believed that the tops of the shoes came with the design already etched on the fabric for the Queen to follow and embroider herself. As someone who loves arts and crafts, I find it particularly interesting to imagine Queen Victoria completing a diy craft set similar to the ones you can buy in hobbycraft! Looking at the creases and indents on the insoles, it appears that Alice – and possibly the Queen’s younger daughters – wore these shoes more than once. Unfortunately the journey of the shoes is unclear but at some point the dainty shoes were passed into the care of the London Museum, where they continue to be cared for today.
© Queen.Victoria.Roses 2026
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What a lovely pair of shoes! I would love a pair myself. Thank you Shannon for posting such interesting bits about Victoria and her family. I’m rewatching the Victoria TV series. I watched when it first came out but am enraptured by it again.