To the Discussion Leader
Queen Victoria ruled England for sixty-three
years. Her reign was marked by a tremendous expansion of the country in
terms of social and scientific improvments, growth in its imperial power
and its political role in the world, and a flourishing of the arts from
painting to the writing of great literature. Victoria's love for her family
of nine children and her husband, Prince Albert, set a tone for her nation
that emphasized the importance of family and, in her later years, earned
her the reputation of the "Grandmother of Europe."
In Victoria: May Blossom of Britannia,
author Anna Kirwan places readers inside Kensington Palace where Princess
Victoria is ten years old. Through her diary entries, the princess offers
glimpses of courtly customs, royal power struggles, political plotting,
and her ultimate ascension to Queen of England.
Anna Kirwan, the author of four other books for
young readers, recalls that when she was growing up some of her favorite
books were written by Victorian authors Lewis Carroll and George MacDonald.
Of her first book in the Royal Diaries series, Kirwan says, "When
I started my research for Victoria: May Blossom of Britannia, I
didn't know how much I would like the Princess Victoria. But after all,
her life was the inspiration for many authors whose books touched my heart
and amused me when I was a kid." With this book, she introduces readers
to this inspiring Queen of England.
Summary
"I had to hide my little journal,
the reason is that I do not wish anyone to know that it exists. Really,
I must have a place to pour out my curious thoughts and sort through them.
I never get to be truly alone," writes nine-year-old Princess Victoria,
niece of King George IV of England. Always surrounded by attendants and
her over-protective mother, Victoria is expected to behave perfectly, to
be seen and not heard. She remembers nothing of her father "Duke Papa"
who died in 1820 when she was eight months old, and she misses her closest
confidante, older sister Feodora, who has married and moved away.
Since the only playmate Victoria has is sneaky
Toire Conroy, daughter of Captain Conroy, the overbearing financial advisor
to Victoria's mother, the young princess spends much time playing games
and making crafts with her governess, Baroness Lehzen. Days are filled
with lessons taught by various tutors, and there are elaborate birthday
parties, holiday dinners, and royal balls. A special time is going to
visit Uncle Leopold (Mamma's brother) at Claremont and then to Ramsgate
for a vacation by the sea.
Although the elegant life seems perfect, Victoria
worries about Captain Conroy's treatment of her mother. He seems to control
Mamma's every movement. One evening when Victoria overhears loud voices,
she sneaks down to see what the cause is and witnesses Conroy physically
hurting her mother. Afraid to confront him herself, Victoria appeals to
Baroness de Spaeth (Mamma's longtime lady-in-waiting) to intervene. She
does, but the next day the Baroness is dismissed from the household and
sent away to live with Feodora. Victoria feels guilty and is both sad
and "very angry." She writes, "I miss Baroness de Spaeth.
I deplore my own mother's behaviour. I shall never trust Captain Conroy,
not ever more."
One day, Victoria reads a letter addressed to Mamma
from Aunt Adelaide suggesting that Victoria be allowed to have other friends,
"for she might be a queen in the future." Victoria is shocked
and surprised by such news, but dismisses it, thinking there are other
family members who will rule when her Uncle King dies. Later, while working
on a history lesson, charting the family tree, Victoria realizes that,
"I am closer to the throne than I thought." Baroness Lehzen
confirms this, stating, "In all probability, you will be Queen of
England." Victoria writes, "No crown will ever weigh on me more
heavily than those words." Soon after, Uncle King "passes on
to Divine Justice and Reward" and Uncle William IV rules England.
Then, her beloved Uncle Leopold is invited to be King of Belgium, and
he accepts and departs.
Though only twelve, Victoria knows her world is
changing forever. She writes, "So I take it [my journal] up again,
to record my days. There is much to love and admire in the world, but
much that I shall never understand. There is much that causes regret and
sorrow." Less than six years later, King William IV dies, and Victoria
becomes Queen of England.
Thinking About the Book
1. Do you think
Victoria had a happy childhood? Using examples from the diary, support
your answer.
2. What do you think about Victoria's
mother? Is she strong or weak? How does the young princess feel about
her mother?
3. Why do you think the author
of Victoria's diary, Anna Kirwan, called her the "May Blossom of
Britannia?"
4. Baroness de Spaeth was Mamma's lady-in-waiting for many years.
Though she was loved by Victoria and others in the palace, she is banished
from Kensington Palace. Why did Mamma take this drastic action against
her loyal servant? Why does Victoria feel responsible?
5. Captain Conroy is, perhaps,
the most unlikable character in Victoria: May Blossom of Britannia. In
your discussion group, see if you can come up with at least three ways
author Anna Kirwan causes readers to dislike the Captain.
6. Victoria loves to read and
write. In her diary she uses some words that readers might not be familiar
with. What do each of the following words mean?
bilious
griffin
vexed
marzipan pigs
equerry
7. Re-read the diary entry for
14 September. What were the three things the fortune teller told Victoria's
father? Did these things come true?
8. Queen Victoria reigned for
sixty-three years. Take a look at the Epilogue and the Historical Note
at the end of her Royal Diary. Was she a good ruler? What were some of
her accomplishments?
Student Activities
1.
On 29 December, Victoria writes about getting a gift of a toy called a
Thaumatrope. Re-read that entry to see what this toy does. To see how
this toy really works, go to the website below where you will find directions
on how to make a Thaumatrope of your own. http://www.osv.org/kids/crafts7.htm
2. Victoria writes of enjoying
the story "The Twelve Dancing Princesses." Find a copy of this
tale and read it. Why do you think Victoria likes it?
3. In Victoria's time there were
unusual remedies for pain or sickness: laudanum, leeches, almond aloe,
physicks, and caraway poultices are mentioned. For what were these used?
What would today's doctors use to treat the same illnesses?
4. The time of Victoria's reign
as queen was termed The Victorian Era, and this referred to a certain
style of architecture, home décor, clothing, food, etc. Find out
how a Victorian family lived by looking at http://www.logicmgmt.com/1876/splash.htm
Click on "Enter Here." See how this family celebrated Christmas.
Try making some of the crafts or treats found under "Victorian Crafts."
5. There are many unusual words
and terms in Victoria's diary. Choose three of the following and explain
their meanings to your group.
treacle
syllabub
barouche
farthingale
topiary
at sixes and sevens
pottage
falderal
epaulets
6. In the Epilogue it is stated
that Victoria, when she was queen, took drawing lessons from artist Edward
Lear. He wrote limericks and other poems. Look up Lear's work in A Book
of Nonsense. Select several limericks and share them with your group.
An Interview with Anna Kirwan
Richard F. Abrahamson, Ph.D. &
Eleanore S. Tyson, Ed.D .: Would you tell us about the research process
you went through to write Victoria's Royal Diary?
Anna Kirwan: I began with four
months of intensive reading and note-taking (hundreds of index cards!)
before I started outlining the plot, and continued to read further background
material for two hours or so a day while I was writing. My research bibliography
included more than 50 books. I read half a dozen biographies of Her Majesty
Queen Victoria, volumes of her own journals, letters and sketchbooks,
and bios and memoirs of other diarists of the period, British and European
history of the Georgian, William IV and Victorian eras, novels and poetry
of the period, articles on the fine arts, travel, antiques, opera and
fashion, sermons--the reading was a great pleasure. Also, I was fortunate
enough to have many good conversations with Professor Michael Wolff, an
eminent Victorianist, whose articulate insight into the sensibilities
of that society and suggestions for my reading list were the essence of
good teaching.
RFA & EST: In the Epilogue
you mention Victoria kept extensive journals. Did you uncover anything
in her journals that surprised you?
AK: I was rather more surprised
at what was not in her journals. As published, she wrote mostly travelogue--no
portraits of persons, except in the mention of some activities they shared
with Her Majesty or her family. Yet she was very much involved and opinionated
in personal and state relationships. Her family did follow her wishes
that no inappropriately personal papers should be brought before the public.
Perhaps this was a humble and compassionate choice on her part--a wisdom.
Certainly, many historians believe they would have preferred the understanding
of her observations to the wisdom of her discretion. She was the one who
experienced the responsibility of the Empire for 64 years, though; maybe
she knew what she was doing.
RFA & EST: Other than your
main character, Victoria, who is your favorite character in the book?
Why?
AK: His Majesty King William IV
seems to me to have been a man of extraordinary character, of great human
warmth, foresight and good humor. Of course, I am also partial to the
Baroness Lehzen and Victoria's Uncle Leopold.
RFA & EST: Victoria
is your first book written in diary format. What challenges did you encounter
writing in this style?
AK: Victoria is my first
published book in diary format, but I have kept my own journal for more
than thirty years, and I have written first person narrative in short
stories. The biggest challenge for me was to develop a style that seemed
more the way a young girl in the early nineteenth century would record
her daily cares and plans. My own style is more erratic than my character
Victoria's. I just write whatever comes into my head; but a novel disguised
as a diary has to be more purposeful and shapely. I also wanted the intimacy
of the form to hint at Victoria's innocence and naiveté about some
matters concerning which contemporary readers, girls her age, might be
more knowledgeable or more vulnerable. I would also like to note here
that I have been greatly influenced by the "late Victorian child"
voice of E. Nesbit's character, Oswald Bastable, on whom I have always
had a crush!
RFA & EST: Victoria's mother
seemed so blind to the ways in which Sir John Conroy manipulated her and
tried to dominate her. Why did she let him?
AK: Not so much blind to it as
complicit with it, I would say. Neither Victoria nor her mother were "feminists"
who questioned whether a man ought to be in charge of "protecting"
the ladies. The Duchess of Kent was politically vulnerable, and (her "poor
credit rating" reflecting her late husband's lavish indebtedness)
not very powerful, in a Europe in which even royalty were not always even
physically safe. She was not popular in England, and she genuinely believed
her child could easily have become a pawn in worse games of ambition than
Sir John Conroy's--his best interest certainly seemed to lie in his loyalty
to her. Unfortunately, a certain amount of bullying and occasional domestic
violence, then as now, might be paradoxically tolerated as "manly"
martial temperament or passionate high spirits. Secrecy prevented inconvenient
scandal, which could turn into an "international event."
RFA & EST: You mention how
surprised you were to discover how much you grew to like Victoria as you
researched her life, in part because she inspired many of the writers
you loved as a child. What children's classics do you feel were inspired
by Victoria? Why?
AK: Alice in Wonderland
and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll (Rev. Charles L.
Dodgson) and The Princess and the Goblin and The Princess and
Curdie by George MacDonald are all tales about a resourceful little
girl/princess. (Remember, Alice crosses a chessboard and becomes a queen!)
In Jean Ingelow's Mopsa the Fairy, Mopsa grows up so quickly, she
rapidly becomes more adult and powerful than the boy, Jack, who first
sees her as an infant in a nest whose other occupants get picked off by
misfortune, leaving her to reign. Charles Dickens' story "The Magic
Fishbone" features a royal family with nineteen children, who happen
to be rather poor. I could go on, but I think it's clear that these themes
show up frequently.
RFA & EST: Do you think young
Victoria had a happy childhood?
AK: I believe Victoria was telling
the truth when she stated that she did not have a happy childhood. Her
relationship with her mother was not a warm one, and she was allowed few
opportunities to form friendships with children her own age or with the
servants she saw daily. A good deal of the time, she found the activities
permitted her were boring and repetitive.
RFA & EST: If you could ask
young readers of Victoria's Royal Diary one question after they finished
reading your book, what would that question be?
AK: What was most meaningful to
you, what did you relate to most clearly?
RFA & EST: What is one thing
you would want your readers to take with them after reading Victoria:
May Blossom of Britannia?
AK: I would like them to think
about the extent to which history is personal, conscience is personal,
and leadership has to be forged from individual experience and compassionate
observation of human conditions.
Discussion Guide written by Richard F. Abrahamson, Ph.D., Professor
of Literature for Children and Young Adults, University of Houston and
Eleanore S. Tyson, Ed.D., Clinical Assistant Professor, University of
Houston, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Houston, Texas.
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