“Do you ever feel like a chess piece yourself?”

The quote above, and the video below, are from one of my favourite films “The Young Victoria”. It makes me happy.

I’m completely fascinated by Queen Victoria and her life. I just watched a documentary with Fiona Bruce presenting on BBC 2 which I didn’t really intend to watch but I was channel flicking and it appeared. Hurrah. It is about the relationship between Victoria and Albert mostly and I suppose that is the part of her life that fascinates me the most. Maybe that is my inner girly mind working but it is a wonderful story.

Victoria; because she was the only legitimate heir at a time when she was very young, had to live under very bizarre circumstances. She was not allowed to do anything by herself- they didn’t want her to think for herself or have her own free will. They manipulated her to make their own gains and as has been suggested in the film, and the documentary, she was treated like a chess piece. This was so she would be manipulated to sign a regency when she became queen and her mother would be her regent during her reign.

Despite this, Victoria DID think for herself and didn’t sign anything and really became her own person when she became queen. She married Albert, who had an equally bizarre childhood, through choice. She did exactly what wasn’t expected at that time and I think that is very much amazing. If anything, perhaps the way her mother treated her under “the Kensington system” is what made her strong in mind and really desire independence when it was designed to do exactly the opposite.

I don’t suppose I have ever been the Royal Family’s biggest fan but I do find the story of Victoria quite inspiring in a sort of cheesy, independent, think for yourself, be yourself kind of way. And it is a very, very old and real story.

Also, the film has quite exciting music. It also features Emily Blunt and she is a super actress.

Here ends the random, semi geek, chat and it shall probably be my last ever mention of the Royal Family in a blog environment.