How do you think Victoria's sheltered upbringing at Kensington Palace influenced her ultimate ability to rule her country?
Created: 01/11/17
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Join Date: 10/15/10
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You know, I'm willing to give her mother a pass on this. I think she was lonely and, as many women, was willing to bow to the whim of the only person paying attention to her. She was also a loving mother who really only wanted the best for her child. Conroy, on the other hand, was a scheming snake who I think truly did plot to isolate Victoria, thereby ending up as the power behind the throne.
Join Date: 09/08/12
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I think it caused her to be more rebellious and independent. She was fighting back at the control Conroy had instilled, through her mother, to gain power and influence. The isolation perhaps made her less dependent on others as she'd only had herself to rely on. Perhaps it also made her more willing to turn to Melbourne's guidance as she needed a stable figure in her life. Luckily, he was honorable and didn't take advantage of her.
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I think that her upbringing made her not trained in the ways of the government and made it more difficult for her to rule at first. While I do actually think her mother may have felt she was acting in Victoria's best interest, I think that Conroy probably planted a lot of bugs in her mother's ear on the topic and convinced her to keep Victoria secluded, most likely in the hope that when Victoria needed help she would turn to him.
Join Date: 02/05/16
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Seems to me she would have been nearly as sheltered from the world had she been a non-royal, upper class young woman in her time and place; only presumably she would not have been a prisoner, not even allowed to sleep in her own room. She did have a good, but limited, basic education from Lehzen, but that was no preparation for her role as queen. This left her dependent on someone with more expertise at parliamentary politics and knowledge of the world, but at least her intelligence was encouraged enough by Lehzen that she could resist Conroy in the role of advisor and accept Melbourne in that role. And later, we know that the real Victoria was later dependent on Albert, though she held her own too. But had she been better prepared, I think she would have avoided the mistake of accusing Flora Hastings, and she might have handled the Bedchamber Crisis differently also, without stirring up public sentiment against her.
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I think it made her more dependent upon those around her. You have to be a pretty savvy young woman to realize that you need to listen to different sides of a discussion before making a decision and not just blindly trust one person for all your information. I'm not sure how she learned this except by perhaps watching her father as he went about his duties. Still, when I think of what I thought of as a teenager, it certainly didn't include anything along those lines. But then, I wasn't being prepped to be a head of state, either. I think her astonishment at how those less fortunate lived was a huge eye opener to her. Her instinct to help rather than pull them further down was a great tribute to her empathy.
Join Date: 01/01/16
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She was extremely sheltered so I do not know how she could have known enough about the kingdom she was to rule. It was a real blessing for her to have the expertise of Melbourne. He was a true friend to her and I think wanted the best for England, although I do not know a lot about England's history.
Join Date: 10/25/12
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I do believe her upbringing made her ready to accept the life of Royalty, and she had the basics of what it meant to be Queen. She was being groomed by her mother and Conroy. The average person off the street would have no idea of courtly manners and precedence. However, I cannot disagree that it added to her rebelliousness and independence. She was being suffocated at Kensington Palace.
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