Louise Lehzen
Encyclopedia
Baroness Louise Lehzen (3 October 1784 – 9 September 1870) was the governess, and later adviser and companion to Queen Victoria.
, Bavaria
, Germany
, the daughter of a Lutheran
pastor
. She was part of the household of Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
, and served as nurse to Princess Feodora of Leiningen
, the daughter of the Princess by her first husband, the Prince of Leiningen
. Princess Victoria subsequently married the Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Strathearn
, who was, at the time, fourth in line for the British throne
. The entire household
was moved to England
in 1819 so that the new Duchess of Kent's child might be born there, strengthening the child's claim to the throne. The baby was a girl, christened "Alexandrina Victoria" after her mother and her godfather, Tsar
Alexander I of Russia
; she would grow up to be Queen Victoria.
The Duke of Kent died quite suddenly in 1820, followed quickly by his father, King George III
. Victoria's uncle, the Prince Regent, ascended the throne as George IV
. Victoria was now third in line for the crown, after her uncles the Duke of York
and the Duke of Clarence
, both of whom were well past middle age, and neither of whom had legitimate heirs. As the likely eventual heiress, Victoria had to be educated accordingly. Unfortunately for her, the Duchess of Kent was nearly bankrupt, having assumed all of her late husband's debts, and could not afford to engage a new governess
. Feodora was now 14, and no longer required the services of a governess. This was how Louise Lehzen came to gain such remarkable ascendancy over the young princess. She became governess to Princess Victoria in 1824, and continued to care for and instruct Victoria even after the Duchess of Northumberland was formally appointed Governess. "Dear, good Lehzen" came to occupy a place in Victoria's heart that superseded all others, including her own mother, the Duchess of Kent.
The education Victoria received from this woman was rudimentary but solid. She learned to speak French
, German
, and English
, had a good grasp of history
and geography
, and became well versed in religious matters. However, her education was almost entirely lacking in subjects suitable for a future monarch to study, such as classical literature
, philosophy
, and foreign affairs
. Lehzen had little knowledge of these subjects.
died, making the Duke of Clarence heir presumptive
. George IV died in 1830, and was succeeded by his brother, who became King William IV
. William formally recognised Victoria as his heir, and made Lehzen a Baroness of Hanover
. At this time, the famous scene took place, in which Lehzen slipped a copy of the genealogy
of the House of Hanover
into one of the Princess's lesson books. After perusing it for some time, Victoria came to see that her father had been next in line after the King, and Queen Adelaide
had no surviving children. This was the first time Victoria came to realise the destiny that had been assumed by many since her birth; that she would be the next British queen. After a pause, Victoria is reported to have said "I will be good."
When Victoria ascended the throne in 1837, after the death of her uncle, King William IV, Lehzen was installed at Buckingham Palace
as a sort of unofficial private secretary
. At this point, Lehzen had totally replaced Victoria's mother both in influence and in affection; Lehzen's apartments adjoined the Queen's, while the Duchess of Kent was installed in a suite of rooms far removed from Victoria's. For the first few years of Victoria's reign, especially before her marriage to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha in 1840, Lehzen had a very strong influence on the Queen's outlook on both politics and personal matters, despite the fact that she did not overtly involve herself in state affairs.
", changed things. Albert was well-educated; he had just completed a tour of Europe
, preceded by years at the University of Bonn
. Victoria's court dismayed his puritan German sensibilities. He pointed out to Victoria the waste and inefficiency that surrounded her, but the care of the household was the special province of Baroness Lehzen, and Victoria defended her. Lehzen also intrigued against Albert, advising Victoria that she was the Queen, and Albert her mere consort: she had but to order, and he must obey. Lehzen, however, had calculated without Victoria's increasing love and devotion to her husband.
When Victoria's first child, the Princess Victoria, was born on November 22, 1840, Victoria trusted Lehzen to make the arrangements for the nursery staff. Lehzen put the nursery in the hands of a Mrs. Southey and Sir James Clark the Royal Physician, over Albert's objections that Clark was wholly unsuited to the post, having already discredited himself during the affair of Lady Flora Hastings
a year previously. Baroness Lehzen was often found with the young princess, or gossiping with Southey, in a nursery that was kept unsuitably hot due to an ailment of Southey's. Eventually, the Princess Royal fell ill, but the incompetent Dr. Clark declared it was a minor colic
and nothing to be concerned about. In fact, the young Princess Victoria became seriously ill. Albert, who was devoted to his first-born, confronted Victoria on the incompetence of the staff selected by the Baroness. There was a quarrel, after which Albert declared that he would leave the affair in her queenly hands, and be it on her head if the child died. After this argument, Victoria gave in to him, and ultimately dismissed Lehzen.
When Lehzen was dismissed from the court in 1842 she returned to her native Germany
. She lived in Bückeburg
on the pension that Victoria sent her, and covered the walls of her house with any portraits of the Queen she could find or cut out of newspapers. She continued to regard Victoria with affectionate emotion and frequently wrote to the Queen, who occasionally responded to her lonely mentor. The Baroness Lehzen died in Bückeburg in 1870. She is buried there on the Jetenburg cemetery
. Queen Victoria gave order to erect a headstone
in neo-gothic style.
Tutor to Princess Victoria
Louise Lehzen was born in CoburgCoburg
Coburg is a town located on the Itz River in Bavaria, Germany. Its 2005 population was 42,015. Long one of the Thuringian states of the Wettin line, it joined with Bavaria by popular vote in 1920...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the daughter of a Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
. She was part of the household of Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was the mother of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.-Early life:...
, and served as nurse to Princess Feodora of Leiningen
Princess Feodora of Leiningen
Princess Feodora of Leiningen was the only daughter of Emich Carl, Prince of Leiningen and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld . Feodora and her older brother Carl, 3rd Prince of Leiningen were maternal half-siblings of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom...
, the daughter of the Princess by her first husband, the Prince of Leiningen
Prince of Leiningen
The title of Prince of Leiningen was created by the Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II, who elevated Carl Friedrich Wilhelm, Count of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Hartenburg to the rank of Prince of the Holy Roman Empire on 3 July 1779...
. Princess Victoria subsequently married the Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Strathearn
Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Strathearn
The Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn was a member of the British Royal Family, the fourth son of King George III and the father of Queen Victoria...
, who was, at the time, fourth in line for the British throne
British monarchy
The monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
. The entire household
Great house
A great house is a large and stately residence; the term encompasses different styles of dwelling in different countries. The name refers to the makeup of the household rather than to any particular architectural style...
was moved to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1819 so that the new Duchess of Kent's child might be born there, strengthening the child's claim to the throne. The baby was a girl, christened "Alexandrina Victoria" after her mother and her godfather, Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Russia , served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and the first Russian King of Poland from 1815 to 1825. He was also the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania....
; she would grow up to be Queen Victoria.
The Duke of Kent died quite suddenly in 1820, followed quickly by his father, King George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
. Victoria's uncle, the Prince Regent, ascended the throne as George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
. Victoria was now third in line for the crown, after her uncles the Duke of York
Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany
The Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany was a member of the Hanoverian and British Royal Family, the second eldest child, and second son, of King George III...
and the Duke of Clarence
William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
, both of whom were well past middle age, and neither of whom had legitimate heirs. As the likely eventual heiress, Victoria had to be educated accordingly. Unfortunately for her, the Duchess of Kent was nearly bankrupt, having assumed all of her late husband's debts, and could not afford to engage a new 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...
. Feodora was now 14, and no longer required the services of a governess. This was how Louise Lehzen came to gain such remarkable ascendancy over the young princess. She became governess to Princess Victoria in 1824, and continued to care for and instruct Victoria even after the Duchess of Northumberland was formally appointed Governess. "Dear, good Lehzen" came to occupy a place in Victoria's heart that superseded all others, including her own mother, the Duchess of Kent.
The education Victoria received from this woman was rudimentary but solid. She learned to speak French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, had a good grasp of history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
, and became well versed in religious matters. However, her education was almost entirely lacking in subjects suitable for a future monarch to study, such as classical literature
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
, philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, and foreign affairs
Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs is an American magazine and website on international relations and U.S. foreign policy published since 1922 by the Council on Foreign Relations six times annually...
. Lehzen had little knowledge of these subjects.
Confidante to the Queen of the United Kingdom
In 1827, the Duke of YorkPrince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany
The Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany was a member of the Hanoverian and British Royal Family, the second eldest child, and second son, of King George III...
died, making the Duke of Clarence heir presumptive
Heir Presumptive
An heir presumptive or heiress presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir or heiress apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question...
. George IV died in 1830, and was succeeded by his brother, who became King William IV
William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
. William formally recognised Victoria as his heir, and made Lehzen a Baroness of Hanover
Kingdom of Hanover
The Kingdom of Hanover was established in October 1814 by the Congress of Vienna, with the restoration of George III to his Hanoverian territories after the Napoleonic era. It succeeded the former Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg , and joined with 38 other sovereign states in the German...
. At this time, the famous scene took place, in which Lehzen slipped a copy of the genealogy
Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
of 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...
into one of the Princess's lesson books. After perusing it for some time, Victoria came to see that her father had been next in line after the King, and Queen Adelaide
Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen
Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and of Hanover as spouse of William IV of the United Kingdom. Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, is named after her.-Early life:Adelaide was born on 13 August 1792 at Meiningen, Thuringia, Germany...
had no surviving children. This was the first time Victoria came to realise the destiny that had been assumed by many since her birth; that she would be the next British queen. After a pause, Victoria is reported to have said "I will be good."
When Victoria ascended the throne in 1837, after the death of her uncle, King William IV, Lehzen was installed at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
as a sort of unofficial private secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
. At this point, Lehzen had totally replaced Victoria's mother both in influence and in affection; Lehzen's apartments adjoined the Queen's, while the Duchess of Kent was installed in a suite of rooms far removed from Victoria's. For the first few years of Victoria's reign, especially before her marriage to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha in 1840, Lehzen had a very strong influence on the Queen's outlook on both politics and personal matters, despite the fact that she did not overtly involve herself in state affairs.
Supplanted by Albert, the Prince Consort
The coming of Albert, the "Prince ConsortPrince consort
A prince consort is the husband of a queen regnant who is not himself a king in his own right.Current examples include the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , and Prince Henrik of Denmark .In recognition of his status, a prince consort may be given a formal...
", changed things. Albert was well-educated; he had just completed a tour of Europe
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
, preceded by years at the University of Bonn
University of Bonn
The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
. Victoria's court dismayed his puritan German sensibilities. He pointed out to Victoria the waste and inefficiency that surrounded her, but the care of the household was the special province of Baroness Lehzen, and Victoria defended her. Lehzen also intrigued against Albert, advising Victoria that she was the Queen, and Albert her mere consort: she had but to order, and he must obey. Lehzen, however, had calculated without Victoria's increasing love and devotion to her husband.
When Victoria's first child, the Princess Victoria, was born on November 22, 1840, Victoria trusted Lehzen to make the arrangements for the nursery staff. Lehzen put the nursery in the hands of a Mrs. Southey and Sir James Clark the Royal Physician, over Albert's objections that Clark was wholly unsuited to the post, having already discredited himself during the affair of Lady Flora Hastings
Lady Flora Hastings
Lady Flora Elizabeth Rawdon-Hastings was a British aristocrat and lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria's mother, the Duchess of Kent, whose death in 1839 caused a court scandal that gave the Queen a negative image....
a year previously. Baroness Lehzen was often found with the young princess, or gossiping with Southey, in a nursery that was kept unsuitably hot due to an ailment of Southey's. Eventually, the Princess Royal fell ill, but the incompetent Dr. Clark declared it was a minor colic
Colic
Colic is a form of pain which starts and stops abruptly. Types include:*Baby colic, a condition, usually in infants, characterized by incessant crying*Renal colic, a pain in the flank, characteristic of kidney stones...
and nothing to be concerned about. In fact, the young Princess Victoria became seriously ill. Albert, who was devoted to his first-born, confronted Victoria on the incompetence of the staff selected by the Baroness. There was a quarrel, after which Albert declared that he would leave the affair in her queenly hands, and be it on her head if the child died. After this argument, Victoria gave in to him, and ultimately dismissed Lehzen.
When Lehzen was dismissed from the court in 1842 she returned to her native Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. She lived in Bückeburg
Bückeburg
Bückeburg is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, on the border with North Rhine Westphalia. It was once the capital of the tiny principality of Schaumburg-Lippe and is today located in the district of Schaumburg close to the northern slopes of the Weserbergland ridge...
on the pension that Victoria sent her, and covered the walls of her house with any portraits of the Queen she could find or cut out of newspapers. She continued to regard Victoria with affectionate emotion and frequently wrote to the Queen, who occasionally responded to her lonely mentor. The Baroness Lehzen died in Bückeburg in 1870. She is buried there on the Jetenburg cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
. Queen Victoria gave order to erect a headstone
Headstone
A headstone, tombstone, or gravestone is a marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. In most cases they have the deceased's name, date of birth, and date of death inscribed on them, along with a personal message, or prayer.- Use :...
in neo-gothic style.