Royal Journals

 

 

A message from 

HM Queen Elizabeth II

"In this the year of my Diamond Jubilee, I am delighted to be able to present, for the first time, the complete on-line collection of Queen Victoria's journals from the Royal Archives.

These diaries cover the period from Queen Victoria's childhood days to her Accession to the Throne, marriage to Prince Albert, and later, her Golden and Diamond Jubilees.

Thirteen volumes in Victoria's own hand survive, and the majority of the remaining volumes were transcribed after Queen Victoria's death by her youngest daughter, Princess Beatrice, on her mother's instructions.

It seems fitting that the subject of the first major public release of material from the Royal Archives is Queen Victoria, who was the first Monarch to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee.

It is hoped that this historic collection will make a valuable addition to the unique material already held by the Bodleian Libraries at Oxford University, and will be used to enhance our knowledge and understanding of the past."

 

visit here for all you ever wondered about:  http://www.queenvictoriasjournals.org/home.do

"For a limited time, this online collection is being made available for free to users around the world.

From July 2012 onwards it will remain freely available in perpetuity to all users within the United Kingdom as well as some specific libraries elsewhere.

Access to material in the Royal Archives, including Queen Victoria's Journals, is normally granted only to those undertaking academic research, on written application to the Senior Archivist."

Queen Victoria's Journals

"As well as detailing household and family matters, the journals reflect affairs of state, describe meetings with statesmen and other eminent figures, and comment on the literature of the day. They represent a valuable primary source for scholars of nineteenth century British political and social history and for those working on gender and autobiographical writing.

It is not clear where Queen Victoria's Journals were kept during her lifetime, though it was probably at Windsor Castle, her principal residence. Whichever volume was the current one would go with her on her travels, in the care of her Wardrobe Maids. After the Queen's death in 1901, the Journals passed to Princess Beatrice's custody (the Queens youngest daughter), although they were actually kept at Windsor, in the room set aside for the Sovereign's Private Secretary. From here, the King's Librarian would dispatch a few volumes at a time to Princess Beatrice for her to work on her transcript Only after this transcription work had been completed were the Journals transferred to the Royal Archives, in the Round Tower at Windsor Castle, and they have remained in the Archives ever since. "

Extract of information found 

on above official website