Celebrating 200 years since Victorian era
Published 12:00 am Sunday, January 6, 2019
- Queen Victoria statue and Kensington Palace in London are a great place to start when revisiting the landmarks of the Victorian Era. (123rf)
She was 18 when she ascended to the throne of the British Empire in 1837, and a revered global presence when she died in 1901 at 81. In 2019, the Victorian Era will be again celebrated throughout Britain as the country honors the 200th anniversary of the queen’s birth. For those wanting to cross the Atlantic and join the celebrations, here are some of the festivities.
Where it all began: Start at London’s Kensington Palace, Victoria’s birthplace, where a new exhibition opens May 24, the date the future queen was born in 1819. The preserved suite of rooms that Victoria and her mother, the Duchess of Kent, once occupied, will be filled with new interactive displays and objects never before seen by the public. Don’t miss the wardrobe room where one can see the queen’s fashionable side, in contrast to the black gowns she donned during her long widowhood.
A royal tour: Though it’s possible to visit the places frequented by Victoria on your own, National Trust Tours has created a 10-day Queen Victoria 200 trip that features important landmarks.
Victoria in Yorkshire: PBS, has compiled a list of the filming locations from Season 2 of its popular British import, “Victoria,” so fans of the series can see locations featured in the show. Don’t be disappointed to learn certain locations are stand-ins, like Harewood House for Buckingham Palace, and Wentworth Woodhouse for Kensington Palace. The good news is that Wentworth, which was closed for 25 years, is open to the public.