Kensington System
Encyclopedia
The Kensington System was a strict and elaborate set of rules designed by Victoria, Duchess of Kent
, along with her attendant and supposed lover, Sir John Conroy, concerning the upbringing of the Duchess's daughter, the future Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. The system was aimed at rendering the young Victoria weak and dependent, and thus unlikely to adhere to her other relatives in the House of Hanover
against her mother and Conroy.
, or her governess
. She was kept isolated from other children; her mother and Conroy strictly monitored and recorded her every action and entirely controlled whom she was allowed to meet. When it became clear that Victoria would inherit the throne, they tried to induce Victoria to appoint Conroy her personal secretary and treasurer
via a long series of threats and browbeating, to no avail.
in 1840, and thus was no longer conventionally required to live with her mother. At the conclusion of her wedding ceremony she only shook hands with the Duchess. She soon thereafter evicted her mother from the palace and rarely visited her.
, who supported his mother's ambitions for a regency
. In 1841, after Victoria had become queen and made her displeasure with the Kensington System known, Carl even published a book to justify it, entitled A Complete History of the Policy Followed at Kensington, Under Sir John Conroy's Guidance.
Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was the mother of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.-Early life:...
, along with her attendant and supposed lover, Sir John Conroy, concerning the upbringing of the Duchess's daughter, the future Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. The system was aimed at rendering the young Victoria weak and dependent, and thus unlikely to adhere to her other relatives in the House of Hanover
House of Hanover
The House of Hanover is a deposed German royal dynasty which has ruled the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , the Kingdom of Hanover, the Kingdom of Great Britain, the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
against her mother and Conroy.
The System in practice
Young Victoria was never allowed to be apart from either her mother, her tutorTutor
A tutor is a person employed in the education of others, either individually or in groups. To tutor is to perform the functions of a tutor.-Teaching assistance:...
, or her governess
Governess
A governess is a girl or woman employed to teach and train children in a private household. In contrast to a nanny or a babysitter, she concentrates on teaching children, not on meeting their physical needs...
. She was kept isolated from other children; her mother and Conroy strictly monitored and recorded her every action and entirely controlled whom she was allowed to meet. When it became clear that Victoria would inherit the throne, they tried to induce Victoria to appoint Conroy her personal secretary and treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
via a long series of threats and browbeating, to no avail.
Victoria's response
Victoria grew to hate them over the system. Her first two requests, upon her accession, were that she should be allowed an hour by herself (which the Kensington System had never permitted) and that her bed should be removed from her mother's room (which presaged the cessation of her mother's influence, and, through her mother, of Conroy's). Conroy was banned from her apartments when Victoria became Queen at the age of 18, and her relations with her mother remained cold and distant for the rest of the latter's life.Eviction
After a brief engagement Victoria married Prince AlbertPrince Albert
Prince Albert was the husband and consort of Queen Victoria.Prince Albert may also refer to:-Royalty:*Prince Albert Edward or Edward VII of the United Kingdom , son of Albert and Victoria...
in 1840, and thus was no longer conventionally required to live with her mother. At the conclusion of her wedding ceremony she only shook hands with the Duchess. She soon thereafter evicted her mother from the palace and rarely visited her.
System endorsed
The system was endorsed by Queen Victoria's half-brother, Carl, 3rd Prince of LeiningenCarl, 3rd Prince of Leiningen
Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Emich, Prince of Leiningen was a German nobleman and the elder half-brother of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.-Biography:...
, who supported his mother's ambitions for a regency
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
. In 1841, after Victoria had become queen and made her displeasure with the Kensington System known, Carl even published a book to justify it, entitled A Complete History of the Policy Followed at Kensington, Under Sir John Conroy's Guidance.
External links
- Queen Victoria: the original people's princess, The Telegraph, 14 September 2008