Calliope articles from May 2003

Calliope archives from May 2003

Race for an heir. (Musings).
May 1, 2003... War is ever fearful, but when it is begun for mere objects of ambition, for imaginary affronts [insults] and wrongs, it is still more fearful. --Queen Victoria to her son-in-law Frederick (who became king of Prussia in 1888), Windsor...

Time line.
May 1, 2003... Time Line (All dates are A.D.) 1819 Princess Victoria is born in Kensington Palace, London. 1819 Prince Albert is born near Coburg, Germany. 1837 Victoria becomes queen of the United Kingdom of...

A queen at 18.
May 1, 2003... Queen Victoria's diary, June 20, 1837: Since it has pleased Providence to place me in this station, I shall do my utmost to fulfill my duty toward my country; I am very young and perhaps in many, though not in all things, inexperienced; but...

When influence counts.
May 1, 2003... The earliest, influences on the young Victoria fell into two categories: those who dominated her and those who flattered her. Through it all, however, Victoria remained stubborn and very much her own person, responding to praise but never...

A commitment to progress.
May 1, 2003... "THE MONARCH REIGNS BUT DOES NOT RULE." THIS FORMULA NEATLY SUMS UP THE ROLE Queen Victoria was expected to play in affairs of state. By the mid-19th century, British kings and queens had stopped intervening directly in the day-to-day...

A love without equal.
May 1, 2003... SHE LOVED LONDON PARTIES AND DANCING UNTIL DAWN. He preferred a walk in the country and being in bed by 10 P.M. She was stubborn and hot-tempered. He was known for his patience. She was the heir to the British throne; he was a poor German...

Almost.
May 1, 2003... In June 1840, four months after their wedding, Victoria and Albert went out for a short drive in an open carriage. According to Albert, "We had hardly proceeded a hundred yards from the palace when I saw a small, disagreeable-looking man...

Word origins. (Fun With Words).
May 1, 2003... BOBBY Until quite recently, the most often used word for a British policeman was "bobby." The term traces its origin to around 1829, when a Home Secretary (later a prime minister) named Sir Robert Peel reorganized the London police force....

Word stories. (Fun With Words).
May 1, 2003... DIEHARD The British 57th Regiment of Foot, known as the Die Hards, were considered fierce fighters. This reputation was due mostly to the regiment's commanding officer who, after being wounded at the Battle of Albuera in 1811, cried out to his...

Expressions. (Fun With Words).
May 1, 2003... Know anyone named Victoria? How about a waterway or street near you by that name? Check out those listed below, and then see if you can locate them on a map. All were named for Britain's longest-reigning queen. The capital of British...

A woman's place.
May 1, 2003... Victoria was so strong and capable a leader that her name came to characterize an era. As British statesman Joseph Chamberlain (1836-1914) said of her, "She was the greatest of all Englishwomen--I had almost said of Englishmen." When...

Victoria and the doctors.
May 1, 2003... During Queen Victoria's reign, medical practices focused more on preventing illnesses than on curing them. Holding the common belief that good health ensured a person's ability to work, Victoria was like most Britons who depended on their...

The Great Exhibition.
May 1, 2003... In the summer of 1849, the Society of Arts, of which Prince Albert was president, began planning an exhibition of manufacturing and commerce held in London two years later. Such events had been held before, but this one was to be on a much...

Gardens under glass. (Activity).
May 1, 2003... If you lived in Victorian London, you'd carry a black umbrella and have a house with dark furniture and wallpaper. Why? London was a city of smoky factories. Your black umbrella would protect you from soot-filled rain and wouldn't show the...

A time of mourning.
May 1, 2003... In the 1850s, Victoria and Albert formed a highly effective partnership. Although the prince consort was careful to maintain a low public profile, he read all the official documents sent to Victoria and was normally present when she met with...

The prime minister.
May 1, 2003... The office of prime minister developed gradually during the 18th century, as Parliament gradually assumed control of the government from the monarchy. In the 17th century, a civil war and an armed revolution had been fought largely over...

Empress of India.
May 1, 2003... When 18-year-old Victoria was crowned queen of Great Britain and Ireland in 1837, the number of people who paid allegiance to her was relatively small in comparison with the number who called her their queen at her Diamond Jubilee in 1897....

'The pink bits. (Activity).
May 1, 2003... "Pink bits" are what the British called the countries and colonies that belong to the Commonwealth of Nations. Why? The maps showing political divisions of nations traditionally colored those places pink. The partial list of colonies and former...

Grandmama of Europe.
May 1, 2003... Empress Frederick of Germany (1840-1901)--Victoria's eldest child, known as "Vicky," married Frederick III, king of Prussia and German emperor. Kaiser Wilhelm II (1859-1941)--Vicky's son was emperor of Germany during World War I. ...

Can you tell me how the Tollund man died? (Ask Calliope).
May 1, 2003... Can you tell me how the Tollund man died? --Nancy, Web post The Tollund man was uncovered in the narrow bog of Jutland Moss in Denmark in 2000. His head was remarkably well preserved--almost as if he had died recently and not around...

What did the ancient Greeks do for entertainment? (Ask Calliope).
May 1, 2003... What did the ancient Greeks do for entertainment? --James, Web post Greek adults participated in recreational activities that are very similar to those of today. They enjoyed singing and dancing and attended the theater. Sporting...

How long did it take to build the Great Pyramid? (Ask Calliope).
May 1, 2003... How long did it take to build the Great Pyramid? --Sheina, Melbourne, Australia Twenty years--according to Greek historian Herodotus. In his description, written some 2,400 years ago, of the building of the Great Pyramid at Giza,...

Books. (Off the Shelf).
May 1, 2003... Don't know Much About the King's Queens of England by Kenneth C. Davis (Harper Collins, 2002) Fairy Tales from England retold by James Reeves (Oxford, 1999) Kings & Queens: From Tutankhamun to Elizabeth II by Philippa Wingate (EDC...

On the net.
May 1, 2003... For selections from Victoria's letters and diaries, check out. www.royal.gov.uk For biographical sketch of the queens's life and her education, try: www.victorianstation.com/queen.html www.victorianweborg/vn/victoria2.html For...

Resources. (Off the Shelf).
May 1, 2003... Queen Victoria by Lytton Strachey (Blue Ribbon Books, 1921) Queen Victoria in her Letters and Journals: A Selection by Christopher Hibbert (John Murray, 1984) Queen Victoria's Sketchbook by Marina Warner (Crown, 1979) Victoria: An...

Media. (off the Shelf).
May 1, 2003... 16th Century to the House of Windsor (52-minute color video produced by Films for the Humanities & Sciences) Victorian Britain (CD-ROM available for Windows only produced by Films for the Humanities & Sciences)

Cobblestone resources. (Off the Shelf).
May 1, 2003... The following issues of CALLIOPE complement this issue on "Queen Victoria": Elizabeth I (May 1998) The Magna Carta (April 2000)

Legacy of a queen. (Past to Present).
May 1, 2003... One of the most famous monarchs in English history, Victoria served longer than any other British monarch. During her reign, the British Empire expanded all around the world, and hundreds of places are named in her honor--from Victoria Island...