Victoria, Queen (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1911)

What it is

This is the entry on Queen Victoria from the eleventh edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, published in 1911. It is a reference article that gives her parentage and birth at Kensington Palace on 24 May 1819, and explains the uncertain succession that led to the marriages of her uncles.

Why it matters

Encyclopedia articles like this one were long used by students and readers as a standard summary of a figure's life. The entry explains how the death of Princess Charlotte in 1817 left the succession uncertain, and it names the duke of Kent and the duke of Clarence, who later became William IV. It places Victoria within the family politics of the British royal house.

Look closer

• Why does the article begin with Victoria's parents and the succession problem rather than with her own achievements?

• As a reference work written about fifteen years after the queen's death, what might it have chosen to emphasise or to leave out?

• How does this summary compare with the more personal biographies in this archive?