Queen Victoria's First Visit to the London Theatres as Monarch: Guest Post by Joanne Major and Sarah Murden
Today, I am very pleased to welcome historians Joanne Major and Sarah Murden with a wonderful guest post on Queen Victoria’s first visits to the London theatres upon her ascension to the throne in 1837!
Queen Victoria ascended the throne in June 1837 upon the death of her uncle, William IV. She was just eighteen years of age and her youth symbolised a new beginning. We wanted to share the details of the first visit to the two main London theatres by the young queen as a reigning monarch, not least because there are some wonderful images of Victoria on those two evenings.
Royal Collection Trust/© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2016
The History of the Lorgnette
A lorgnette is, quite simply, a pair of spectacles mounted on a handle. The precursor to modern opera glasses, lorgnettes were a common sight during the 19th century at the theater as well as the opera. And since the name lorgnette derives from the French word lorgner – meaning “to ogle” or “to eye furtively” – one can only imagine the many uses to which a curious socialite in the balcony might have put them. Whether employed to sneakily spy on a rival across the way, stealthily investigate a young gentleman down in the pit, or to merely watch the action on the stage, a lorgnette was an indispensable accessory for the 19th century lady about town.[…]Continue Reading
