We Are Not Amused - Queen Victoria

1819–1901

Queen of Great Britain for most of a century, Victoria was the figurehead of a culture that saw major developments in science, technology, and scholarship. Her royal tenure was the longest of any British monarch. Crowned shortly after her eighteenth birthday, Queen Victoria ruled until her death at age eighty-one.

By Victoria’s time, the power of British royalty had faded. Victoria’s role was largely ceremonial, more public relations than genuine statecraft, but this was a role she played well. The nation had seen its share of playboy kings, but Victoria’s reign was decidedly family friendly. Even today, people speak of “Victorian morality.”

Victoria herself was brought up in an extremely sheltered environment. The granddaughter of King George III, she was several steps removed from the throne. Her mother, a German-born princess, still handpicked her friends and set strict limits on her activities. Victoria seems to have maintained such restraint throughout her life. When those ahead of her in the line of succession died, she became queen, transmitting her own moral code to the nation.

It was a time of great development for the British Empire, which had colonies across the world. Christian morality and British customs were indistinguishable. Many colonists saw themselves as redeeming their adopted lands by introducing British order and moral values. They could ride roughshod over the local culture “for queen and country.”

The problem is, “Victorian morality” easily leads to hypocrisy. People judge others for not toeing the line, but they themselves find loopholes. Certain sins are avoided, but others are winked at. If morality is not based on a heart-changing relationship with Jesus, it has no real strength.

The elderly Queen Victoria reportedly heard a sermon on Christ’s return and said, “I wish that the Lord might come during my lifetime. . . . I should so love to lay my crown at His feet.”

This is where authentic morality comes from: not a desire to be “civilized” or to receive approval from others, but an encounter with Jesus and a recognition that he is ultimately our King.

Why do you keep on following the rules of the world? . . . These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.

Colossians 2:20, 23