Victoria was the youngest Queen England has ever known. It had been more than 100 years since last a Queen had been ruler of the country. There was anticipation and speculation about how this young woman would manage her responsibilities.
As a single reigning Queen, Victoria was confident. She embraced her opportunity to serve her country, something she had been anticipating for years. She happily cast off the stifling influence of her mother, the Duchess of Kent, and Sir John Conroy.
In 1839, the episodes regarding Lady Flora Hastings and the Ladies of the Bedchamber drew Victoria’s youth, immaturity, and inexperience into sharp focus. The Queen was shown to be unable to set her personal feelings aside to make fair judgments. And Lord Melbourne, who should have advised her to make better choices, instead went along with and encouraged the Queen’s selfish choices. The public seemed to be turning against the Queen.
Victoria was despondent. She had been trying to prove she was Queen, to exercise her influence and demonstrate her ability to reign. Instead, she had acted out of spite and selfishness, and had seen the country turn against her. Her joyful and successful coronation must have seemed a world away.
The Queen would have one more opportunity to make the right decision that year.
History shows us what's possible.
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