Here’s a few ideas on how to mark Queen Victoria’s 200th birthday…
Pay a visit to Kensington Palace: Queen Victoria was born on the 24th May 1819 and spent her childhood at Kensington Palace, making it a perfect place to visit to mark the anniversary of her birth. The palace also has two very different exhibitions exploring Victoria’s life. In Victoria: A Royal Childhood discover the story of the Princess and her life at Kensington Palace, while Victoria: Woman and Crown reveals how she dealt with not oly her role as Queen but also as a wife and mother. Read our review of Victoria: Woman and Crown here.
Watch ITV’s drama Victoria: with series three out now on DVD, watch Jenna Coleman take on the role of Queen Victoria from when she ascends the throne and beyond.
Pay a visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum’s display Victoria and Albert’s Museum: meanwhile, this museum set up dedicated to the work of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s dedication to the arts, the V&A is marking the 200th anniversary since Queen Victoria’s birth with this free display. This display showcases objects that were bought, lent and presented to the museum up until the death of Prince Albert in 1861.
Book a ticket to see Buckingham Palace’s exhibition Queen Victoria’s Palace: this special exhibition created in honour of the 200th birthday of Queen Victoria will reveal the story of how the young queen managed to transform Buckingham Palace from a private house into a working royal residence. The exhibition will be on display from the 20th July until the 29th September.
Pick up and read a copy of Becoming Queen by Kate Williams: this fascinating and engaging biography examines the early life of not only Queen Victoria but also her cousin Princess Charlotte – who would have been Queen had it not been her untimely death. The biography effectively ties together the lives of both women and how they had to fight for to be acknowledged as heirs to the throne.