Princess Patricia of Connaught

Victoria Patricia Helena Elizabeth

Granddaughter of Queen Victoria.

17 March 1886 – 12 January 1974 (87)

The Princess Louise (born Louise Caroline Alberta),also known as Marchioness of Lorne and Duchess of Argyll 

The sixth child and fourth daughter of Queen Victoria

18 March 1848 – 3 December 1939 (91)

Queens Well, Glen Esk, Scotland
June 2018

Presentations in the Galerie des Guises of the Château d'Eu during the visit by Britain’s Queen Victoria and Prince Albert to France in September 1843. An occasion that marked a historical spirit of reconciliation between the two countries, this was the first visit by a British monarch to France since the summit between Henry VIII and François I at the Field of the Cloth of Gold more than three hundred years earlier.

King Louis-Philippe stands beside Queen Victoria, who wears a red dress. Queen Marie-Amélie, in white, stands directly behind Victoria, with Prince Albert on her left. The watercolour by Eugène Lami was included in album gifted by the French sovereign to his British counterpart in commemoration of the successful visit.

Queen Victoria is on that all fine list

Queen Victoria (1859), Franz Xaver Winterhalter / All Your Fault, Big Sean feat. Kanye West

Portrait of Princess Victoria of Kent (1819-1901), later Queen Victoria, Unknown Artist (after George Hayter), circa 1866 (1833 original)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gets rather confusing, especially philatelically, what with the Grenadines being an island chain stuck (geographically AND politically) between Saint Vincent to the north and Grenada to the south.  Which means there are various postal issues from a whole slew of the islands, depending on which Grenadines you’re looking for, plus all the “Saint Vincent” stamps and the “Saint Vincent and the Grenadines” stamps you could hope for.  Another victim of pillaging colonial forces in the West Indies, Saint Vincent (as it is informally known, just to confuse things further) gained full independence from Britain in 1979.

Stamp details:
Stamp on top:
Issued on: May 8, 1861
From: Kingstown, Colony of St. Vincent
MC #1

Second row left:
Issued on: April 22, 1958
From: Kingstown, Territory of St. Vincent
MC #180

Second row right:
Issued on: October 27, 1969
From: Kingstown, State of St. Vincent
MC #255

Third row left:
Issued in: 1980
From: Kingstown, St. Vincent
MC #534

Third row middle:
Issued on: April 24, 1980
From: Grenadines, St. Vincent
MC #188

Third row right:
Issued on: March 14, 1983
From: Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines
MC #651

Stamps on bottom:
Issued on: January 28, 2016
From: Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines
MC #7644-7647

Recognized as a sovereign state by the UN: Yes (since September 16, 1980)
Official name: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Member of the Universal Postal Union: Yes (since February 3, 1981)

As you’ll no doubt recall, the English and the French have a complicated history - and the history of Saint Lucia handily reflects that, having endured the flip-flopping dominion by the French and English through the early years of colonization (it was claimed seven times each by both before the English took definitive control in the early 1800s - earning it its informal sobriquet “Helen of the West Indies”).  Saint Lucia gained full independence as a member of the Commonwealth of Nations in 1979.  [Incidentally, it is the only nation on earth named after a once-living lady - in this case, Saint Lucy of Syracuse, named by the French sailors (it is thought) who shipwrecked on her shores on St. Lucy’s Day.]

Stamp details:
Top left:
Issued on: December 18, 1860
From: Castries, Colony of Saint Lucia
MC #1

Top right:
Issued on: December 18, 1960
From: Castries, Territory of Saint Lucia
MC #165

Middle stamps:
Issued on: February 22, 1979
From: Castries, Saint Lucia
MC #450, 452

Stamps on bottom:
Issued in: 2019
From: Castries, Saint Lucia
Colnect #2019-01

Recognized as a sovereign state by the UN: Yes (since September 18, 1979)
Official name: Saint Lucia
Member of the Universal Postal Union: Yes (since July 10, 1980)

Like much of the West Indies, St. Kitts and Nevis has gone through a number of iterations in its history since being colonized by the Europeans, including historically having Anguilla be part of the federation (until it seceded at the time of independence to remain a British Overseas Territory).  Saint Kitts (also known as Saint Christopher) appears to have misnamed on early maps [likely it was supposed to have been Saint James, named by Columbus, but was misprinted as San Cristóbal, which name stuck with early English colonists who, as we know, take delight in nicknames, Kitt being a favorite shortening of Christopher], while Nevis is a mistransliteration of the Spanish Nieves (for Our Lady of the Snows).  St. Kitts and Nevis gained Associated State status in 1967, then full independence in 1983, but remains a part of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Stamp details:
Top left:
Issued on: July 19, 1862
From: Charlestown, Nevis
MC #1

Top middle:
Issued on: April 1, 1870
From: Basseterre, Saint Christopher
MC #1

Top right:
Issued in: 1903
From: Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
MC #1

Second row:
Issued on: February 27, 1967
From: Basseterre, Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla
MC #177

Third row left:
Issued on: September 4, 1980
From: Basseterre, Saint Kitts
MC #39

Third row right:
Issued on: September 4, 1980
From: Charlestown, Nevis
MC #38

Fourth row left:
Issued on: September 19, 1983
From: Basseterre, Saint Kitts
MC #111

Fourth row right:
Issued on: September 19, 1983
From: Charlestown, Nevis
MC #100

Bottom left:
Issued on: April 14, 2016
From: Basseterre, Saint Kitts
MC #1541

Bottom right:
Issued on: April 1, 2016
From: Charlestown, Nevis
MC #3143

Recognized as a sovereign state by the UN: Yes (since September 23, 1983)
Official name: Saint Kitts and Nevis; Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis
Member of the Universal Postal Union: Yes (since January 11, 1988)

Originally uninhabited when first discovered by the Portuguese in the early 1500s, Saint Helena (there are a host of discovery and naming myths associated with Saint Helena, all of which are plausible and none of which are resolutely verifiable, although it is generally understood it was named after Saint Helena of Constantinople) is a tiny volcanic outcropping of stone in the middle of the South Atlantic, over a thousand miles from the coast of Angola and Namibia, 800 miles from Ascension Island, and 1,300 miles from Tristan da Cunha.  It is Britain’s second-oldest possession (after Bermuda), but passed through a number of colonial hands since its discovery, being, as it is, an important stopover for a number of industries in those early days of exploration.

Stamp details:
Top left:
Issued on: January 1, 1856
From: Jamestown, Crown Colony of Saint Helena
MC #1

Top right:
Issued on: July 1, 1982
From: Jamestown, Dependent Territory of Saint Helena and Dependencies
MC #361

Middle stamps:
Issued on: May 21, 2002
From: Jamestown; Overseas Territory of Saint Helena and Dependencies
MC #836-839

Stamp on bottom:
Issued on: February 10, 2018
From: Jamestown; Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
SG #MS1274

Recognized as a sovereign state by the UN: No
Claimed by: British Overseas Territory
Member of the Universal Postal Union: Yes (BOTs joined on April 1, 1877)

Christmas Tree at Windsor Castle

1848

wood engraving

Supertunica worn by Queen Victoria at her coronation, June 28, 1838. Depicted in a portrait by Sir George Hayter ca. 1838-40.

From the Royal Collection

Prince Albert Victor died at Sandringham on this day in 1892. His engagement to Princess May of Teck had recently been announced, and his birthday had been celebrated the week before.

He caught influenza during a pandemic in the late 19th century. The flu turned in to pneumonia, which was ultimately fatal. As the heir to the throne after his father Edward (Bertie) the Prince of Wales, his death came as a huge shock to his family and the nation.

His younger brother George did quite well out of it though, as he got Albert’s crown and his bride! You can find out more at The Creative Historian.

Suzuki Night Market - Melbourne, Australia.

Costumes worn by Prince Carl (later king Haakon of Norway), princess Maud (later queen Maud of Norway) and princess Victoria, photographed by Lafayette on July 2, 1897, and two of the attires worn. The Lafayette photo comes from the Royal Archives at Windsor. 

The occasion was a grand fancy dress ball hosted in London by the Duchess of Devonshire, in honour of queen Victoria’s 1897 Jubilee. Whereas the queen herself was not at the ball, many of her closest family members were.

The theme of the ball was allegorical or historical (pre 1815) figures. The Prince of Wales, later king Edward VII, came as grand prior of “The Order of St. John of Jerusalem”, while his wife Alexandra came as the French Renaissance queen Marguerite de Valois.

Their daughers were dressed as Renaissance ladies-in-waiting to the “Marguerite de Valois”, in similar corseted, slashed and collared dresses, while Danish prince Carl appeared as a Danish Renaissance courtier. I have never been able to find out the colour of princess Victoria’s dress. But the garments of her sister and brother in law were predominantely pink, purple and metallic. This we know because their attires are wonderfully preserved!

Princess Maud’s attire was made by French Morin-Blossier. The main fabric is a pink silk satin, appliquéed with sheer silk fabric in a diagonal pattern. The silk has then been embellished with silvery sequins and beads. In addition there’s paned sleeves and bodice details with the same sheer silk poking through, and a Recitella-style standing collar and cuffs.

It is not known who made prince Carl’s attire. But it is made of a black silk satin elaborately embroidered with silk and beads. In addition elastic purple hoses of wool and silk, thigh-high black boots, lace collar and cuffs, and a merallic belt with sword. And not to forget the matching tall, plumed hat. To look the part, the prince even wore a fake beard, to get the proper Renaissance look!

Today the costumes are is in the care of The National Museum in Oslo (OK-1991-0256 and OK-1991-0251).

(viaOn Victoria: Who Were the Chartists?) Before you watch the first episode of Victoria, Season 3 on PBS Masterpiece on Sunday, you’ll want to read this. Who were the Chartists? 

(viaPBS Masterpiece Schedule Spring 2019) The MASTERPIECE | PBS Winter / Spring Period Drama Schedule is here! It all starts this weekend with Victoria. You’ll also want to see the list of other programs coming to PBS, that fans of historical dramas will love. https://www.willowandthatch.com/2019-pbs-masterpiece-period-drama-schedule-winter-spring/

Queen Victoria, c 1894, w 3 Kings 

King Edward VII - Son

King George V - Grandson 

King Edward VIII - Great Grandson

“Queen Victoria was a glorified housewife and then widow. I don’t find her as impressive, smart, or powerful as her position called for and I think it all obviously went to her head pretty quick. Her daughters and sons were all much more capable than her, in my opinion. I’m speaking 100% professionally though and not as a cultural force.” - Submitted by Anonymous

There’s a theory that i like : In the Haunted Mansion’s Graveyard scene, there is a section with a king and a queen playing teeter-totter on a tombstone. These characters look like real historical figures King James the 1st of England (1566 -1623) and Queen Victoria (1819-1901). Both these royals were heavily involved with America where the mansion is located. The country was colonized under Jame’s reign and the industrial revolution spreaded under Victoria’s reign. There’s a lot of victorian influence and style in the ride. This also could be a visual pun with the expression “Playing Victoria and Albert”, even though the king is not Prince Albert, the Queen’s husband. This expression comes from the passionate relationship Victoria had with her beloved husband, which was rare for royals commonly used to arranged marriages.