Letter to the Duke of Wellington

June 15, 1849

De Beer Manuscripts MS 11

Buckingham Palace: Unpublished

Queen Victoria (1819-1901) gave her name to an entire era. Born in Kensington Palace, London, Victoria endured an isolated childhood and was heavily controlled by her mother. She ascended the throne at the age of 18 and ruled Great Britain and Ireland for the next 64 years. Victoria had nine children, popularising the use of the anaesthetic chloroform along the way. Unusually for the time, all her offspring survived childhood. She was a prolific letter and journal writer and in all, it is thought Victoria wrote 60 million words in her lifetime. Here is a letter in her hand, to the Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley (1769-1852), approving the continuation of Sir John Murray’s command in Nova Scotia, among other things.