Although most people believe Queen Victoria hated children, she and Prince Albert went on to have a grand total of nine over the course of seventeen years! While it was rare for the times, each of her five daughters and four sons survived to adulthood. Here you can learn all about each of of her children and the events that shaped their lives!
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Princess Victoria
As the eldest sibling, Victoria, known as Vicky by close friends and family, was naturally a favourite of her parents. Before the age of four, she was already fluent in multiple languages and had set the bar high for the rest of her siblings. When she was fourteen, the Princess was betrothed to marry Crown Friedrich of Prussia, who later went on to become German Emperor and King of Prussia.
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Prince Albert Edward
From a young age, Prince Albert Edward was an immediate disappointment to the Queen, who expected him to be just as admirable as his father. This didn’t change as he grew up and throughout his life he was constantly under her scrutiny, particularly for his love of women. Upon Queen Victoria’s death in 1901, Albert Edward ascended the throne, becoming known as King Edward VII.
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Princess Alice
Out of all of Queen Victoria’s children, Princess Alice is perhaps best known for her kind heart and tragic family story. Follow the death of Prince Albert in 1861, she undertook the role of her mother’s private secretary and companion. The following July, she married Prince Louis of Hesse and by Rhine. Together they had a grand total of seven children, including Russias final Tsrina, Alexandra Feodorovna!
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Prince Alfred
Certainly one of Queen Victoria’s least known children, Prince Alfred joined the Royal Navy when he was aged just 12! In 1874, he married Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia and together the couple had a total of five children. Upon the death of his uncle, Ernst I, in 1893, Alfred succeeded him as Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
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Princess Helena
The most underrated of Queen Victoria’s daughters, Princess Helena left perhaps one of the longest lasting legacies. Like Princess Alice, Helena was fascinated by nursing and was one of the founding members of the Red Cross! She also helped charities, which supported poor and disabled children, as well as becoming an active volunteer during the First World War.
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Princess Louise
Born in the year of revolution, Louise grew up to be quite the royal rebel, who was caught up in several potentially scandalous events. Along with marrying a commoner, Louise went against royal protocol and attended art college. As she got older, she became an established artist. Her most well known piece is the statue of Queen Victoria outside Kensington Palace.
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Prince Arthur
Despite having six older siblings, Prince Arthur was instantly the Queens favourite child. From a young age, it was clear the prince was destined for a long and successful military career, which his position as the third son allowed him to pursue. He continued his career up until his final years, while also continuing his royal duties.
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Prince Leopold
As the first member of the royal family to suffer from the genetic disease haemophilia, Prince Leopold had a relatively isolated childhood in comparison to his siblings. From birth, Queen Victoria strongly disliked her youngest son but upon his deadly diagnosis, her attitude changed. Feeling suffocated by his mothers grip, Leopold saw marriage as his only escape. Tragically, Leopold died just two years later before the birth of the couple’s second child.
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Princess Beatrice
As the youngest child, Princess Beatrice was naturally a favourite child amongst both her parents. Following the death of Prince Albert in December 1861, Queen Victoria turned to Beatrice for support. From that moment onwards, she was rarely apart from her mother until the Queens death in 1901. From that point, Beatrice dedicated countless hours to editing and rewriting Victorias famous journals.
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