Queen Victoria Research Paper

An 18-year-old becomes Queen, and circumstances unfold changing the way a nation and the world view sexuality. Queen Victoria’s reign prompted a turn in sexual history from the moment she took over an immoral and scandalous court to her consistent strength of character resurrecting ideals of romantic love in the wholesome context of marriage. Though many view Victoria’s as an age of silence and repression, many aspects about the Queen’s behavior exemplify a provocative freedom defining a healthy and wholesome sexuality. As some scholars are beginning to reevaluate her impact on sexuality, this paper serves to provide evidence to substantiate this claim and Queen Victoria’s continued influential effect on America’s sexual customs. Herein, you

From Queen Victoria’s crowning until her death (1837-1901) Britain experienced a time of relative prosperity and advancement; however, the virgin queen’s rule began in a time of “scandal, hedonism, and corruption which had defined most of 18th century Europe” (Milio, McPherson, & Peltier, 1999, p. 31). Nonetheless, the historical context of the period explicates how milestones of Victorian sexuality continue to linger in America more than one hundred years later.

Historical Overview of the Victorian Period

Pre-Victoria sexuality, explicitly covered in The History of Sex documentary, was rife with promiscuity, including orgies, prostitution, sadomasochism, homosexuality, paraphilia, and every imaginable form of debauchery. When the Victorian Era began, 19th century British citizens were repulsed with those who behaved crudely, whether the vice was promiscuousness or drunkenness. The timing was perfect for a leader who embraced sex as a normal, moral and healthy. Queen Victoria’s reign of more than 63 years became synonymous with virtue, religious and political advancements, the flourishing of art and literature, and social expansions. Consequently, the era saw fertility rates soar, advancements in medicine and nutrition, and a decreased mortality rates that resulted in an epic explosion of population.

In 2017, Joseph Severn penned a book about his own letters and memoirs, where he described modern marriages likened to “Victorian marriages” (Severn & Scott, 2017) where he admitted that he himself was domesticated with numerous children. This admission, by the fiery artist, was a shocking contradiction to his perceived reputation. Correspondingly, there are instances where Victoria herself was misunderstood and false perceptions ran rampant.

Many described Victorian women as frigid; however, Victoria herself had a penchant for intimacy that is common among many American women. Empowered with freedom of expression and an enjoyment of the male body, many modern women relate to Victoria’s sexuality. Foucault, “rather than seeing the Victorian age as a period of silence and suppression,” (Nead, 2016) he described it as “provocative and gestural; it invited engagement with and critique of its models of power and the spaces of resistance. It ignored feminism but demanded a feminist response” (Nead,