Time Traveler: The Young Victoria and Victorian Architecture

by Laura Casey Interiors on January 6, 2011

I recently re-watched one of my very favorite films, The Young Victoria. I always enjoy a good historical movie, and this one is especially well done.

Emily Blunt does a fantastic job portraying a young Queen Victoria and the styling (of both sets and costumes) is superb.

At the age of eighteen in 1837, Victoria was awakened by the news that her Uncle William IV had died and that she was to be Queen. Her childhood bedroom in Kensington Palace epitomizes the look of Victorian interior style.

Her bedroom as recreated for the movie.

Victoria spent much of her life in Kensington Palace.

As an adult, Queen Victoria lived with her husband, Prince Albert, in the palace’s State Apartments. In 1848 Queen Victoria purchased Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It has been the Scottish Home of the British Royal Family ever since.

The royal couple hired British architect William Smith to remodel parts of the castle.

Victoria and Albert also spent time at Osborne Houseon the Isle of Wight, built for the couple in 1845. Prince Albert designed the house, along with architect Thomas Cubitt, to be a summer home and rural retreat in the style of an Italian Renaissance palazzo.

Victoria died at Osborne House in 1901. Her reign of 67 years is the longest of any British monarch and the longest in history of any female ruler. She left a significant impression on England and Europe.

While Victorian interior styles have passed their prime, elements of Victorian architecture are still very much appreciated. During Queen Victoria’s reign (1837-1901) in England, architects focused less on symmetry and more on defining the style. In the United States between 1860-1900 archtectural styles of Queen Anne, Second Empire and Shingle style fell under a larger umbrella of Victorian, as seen in the details of San Francisco row houses,

homes in Texas,

and Sandra Bullock’s home in New Orleans.

This restored Kentucky Victorian is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is for sale.

nchen001 1 Time Traveler: The Young Victoria and Victorian Architecture

nchen001 2 Time Traveler: The Young Victoria and Victorian Architecture

nchen001 3 Time Traveler: The Young Victoria and Victorian Architecture

B&B anyone?

Photo Credits: IMDB (1-3) Historic Royal Places (4) IMDB (5) Historic Royal Places (6) Balmoral Castle (7,8) English Heritage Organization (9,10) Panoramio (11) Hub Pages (12) French Quarter Condo Tours (13) Historic Properties (14-16)

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Tagged as: Balmoral Castle, Emily Blunt, Kensington Palace, Osborne House, Queen Victoria movie, sandra bullocks house new orleans, victorian architecture

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Victorian decorating and redefining: October 21, 2012 at 10:03 am

{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }

1 pve January 6, 2011 at 6:39 am: Excellent post. My heart aches for “My old Kentucky Home” – that would be a wonderful project to tackle as long as you were the interior designer!
pve
2 yvonne January 6, 2011 at 7:58 am: What beautiful homes, I enjoyed that movie too.
My first visit, and I liked your post.
Stop over and become a follower I will do the same.

yvonne
3 Pretty Pink Tulips January 6, 2011 at 9:03 am: I watched this movie over Thanksgiving and was so taken with the set designs AND the love story, which I did not know.

Won’t it be interesting to see what legacy William and Kate will have on the world?
4 Maryruth January 6, 2011 at 9:11 am: Victorian homes are marvelous. Bill was married in our victorian home.
The years really speed along. Maryruth
5 LLH Designs January 6, 2011 at 9:54 am: Movies like this are right up my alley. I never got to watch this one. I don’t go to he theater much anymore, but love to cozy up in my own home and watch. Maybe this weekend! Thanks for reminding me of it.

Xo,
Linsey
6 Splendid Willow January 6, 2011 at 2:42 pm: Happy first week of the year, Laura! It is good to be back here (I am slowly easing into blogging again…).

Victoria homes are wonderful and looking at that image from San Francisco only brings back good memories. I bought my first home in the US in that city and that is also were our oldest child, Frida, was born.

I have not watched the movie. But with your recommentation, I might just have to look for it.

ox, Mon
7 Paul Byron Downs January 6, 2011 at 10:14 pm: Great post and history on the Victorian era.

Paul
8 a perfect gray January 7, 2011 at 7:44 am: laura, thanks so much for your lovely comment. I appreciate your thinking of me.

those interior shots from the film are beautiful…

wishing you a wonderful new year, laura. maybe this will be the year we meet in person!

thanks and love, donna
9 Eddie Ross January 8, 2011 at 8:48 pm: Thanks for sharing. Absolutely beautiful!
Happy 2011!
Xo,
E&J
10 Sandra Jonas January 8, 2011 at 11:47 pm: I loved that movie. A visual feast! Happy New Year Laura.
11 Karena January 9, 2011 at 10:56 am: Laura,
The movie is wonderful!! my sister restored a Victorian home outside of Kansas City a few years back! It is gorgeous. Now she is doing the same with a loft building downtown.

xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
12 TSL / Living In Art January 10, 2011 at 9:57 am: Sigh. That first image, so amazingly beautiful. And the rest that followed, wonderful.
13 Things That Inspire January 12, 2011 at 7:08 am: What a magnificent post! I loved this movie, and did not know about Queen Victoria’s many houses, or the fact that she spent much of her life living in Kensington Palace. I saw that the movie is on Netflix on Demand….given that we are iced in her for the third day in a row, it might be a good activity today!
14 BoxwoodTerrace January 12, 2011 at 8:43 am: I missed this movie in theaters, so may watch it today (with tea in the afternoon!) since Boston is snowed in again. Thanks for the suggestion.
Deborah