Queen Victoria

St Mildred, Whippingham is Queen Victoria’s church. She had worshipped in the old church, dating from before the Domesday Book, but wanted a new and more splendid church for her family. Prince Albert worked with the architect to produce the beautiful and distinct design. Princess Beatrice was married to Prince Henry of Battenberg here in 1885. He died aged only 38 and Queen Victoria named the Battenberg Chapel in his memory, where he is buried in a magnificent sarcophagus. When Princess Beatrice died in 1944 she was buried with him.

Crathie Kirk is popular with visitors due to its proximity to Balmoral and Crathie's granite kirk, opposite the gates of Balmoral Castle on the main road. It was built in 1895 with the proceeds of a bazaar held at Balmoral. From 1848, Crathie Kirk has been a place of worship for Queen Victoria and every British monarch since. Queen Victoria's personal attendant, John Brown was buried in Crathie Kirk graveyard.

The coronation for Queen Victoria was held on Thursday, the 28th of June in 1838. It was a festive day for England when Queen Victoria went forth from her palace to the coronation at Westminster Abbey. Tens of thousands of her delighted and affectionate subjects thronged the streets along which the procession passed. Victoria kept a journal and wrote of her coronation day ‘I shall remember this day as the proudest of my life’.

Victoria and Albert were married at the Chapel Royal in St James’s Palace at 1pm on Monday 10 February 1840. Victoria wore a white dress, which was seen as unusual at the time and she is often credited with the ‘white wedding’ trend. She loved her wedding dress so much that she wore it over and over again in different guises, she was even buried with her wedding veil covering her face. Many of her children chose to be married at Windsor, particularly during the Queen’s reclusive widowhood.

In 1862 Sandringham was purchased for Queen Victoria’s eldest son, Prince Albert, the Prince of Wales and has been home to four generations of the Royal Family. The church of St Mary Magdalene is short walk from the house, the family attend services at the church when they are in residence and royal children are traditionally christened here. The church has memorials to many members and relations of the Royal Family from Queen Victoria onwards.

In the 1830s, the young Princess Victoria was a frequent visitor to Tunbridge Wells. She enjoyed riding her pet donkey, called Flower, along Church Road and attended the races on the Common. In 1835, then aged 16, Princess Victoria attended worship at King Charles the Martyr church with her mother. They sat in the north gallery, where there is now a brass plaque commemorating Victoria's visit and a framed sketch by an anonymous member of the congregation at the time.

In the 1870s St Benet Paul’s Wharf in the City of London was regarded as redundant and scheduled for demolition. Eminent Welsh Anglicans petitioned Queen Victoria to be allowed to use the building for services in Welsh. In 1879, Her Majesty granted the right to hold Welsh services here in perpetuity and this has continued ever since, with a service each Sunday morning.

Before she became Queen, a young princess Victoria spent much of her time visiting Kent. Ramsgate was a popular holiday destination with the gentry in the 1800s. Victoria first came to Ramsgate aged four with her mother, she was allowed to play with other children and have donkey rides on the beach. Whilst there they worshipped at St Laurence, the east window is a memorial to her and the clock was installed to commemorate her Diamond Jubilee.