Curating a Queen: How Victoria Used her Library to Create and Maintain her own Image

在维多利亚女王的领导下，君主制角色的转变意义不可低估。维多利亚见证了君主制的转变从一个国家权力机构到20世纪初，成为我们今天所熟知的；一个纯粹的仪式和意象，只有权利被咨询，鼓励和警告（用沃尔特·白芝浩的话来说）。正是这个“象征性君主”的呈现需要如此多的关注和维护，这形成了这个项目的背景。“自我完善”的概念可以适用于维多利亚的各种表现；作为公主、君主、皇后、妻子、母亲、寡妇、女人和个人。因此，我将考虑维多利亚在这个不断改进的计划中的目标是什么，并雄心勃勃地发现她觉得自己在实现这些目标方面有多成功。我最初感兴趣的是探讨以下问题：1)维多利亚用什么方法来创造和维护一个形象？她保持君主制的开创性方法可以说是它得以生存的原因，因此它的成功基础是理解维多利亚女王的重要因素。2)作为君主，维多利亚是否调整了她表达自己的方式来适应不同的人？1856年9月，当维多利亚和南丁格尔在巴尔莫勒尔相遇时，她对南丁格尔的敬畏是维多利亚最著名的日记之一。如果能接触到她遇到的人写的信，那将是衡量她的反应的一种有趣的方式。3)维多利亚的自我提升方法在她的一生中发生了怎样的变化？毫无疑问，维多利亚从小就习惯了文学、音乐和艺术文化。我对探索她阅读的材料的变化很感兴趣，例如，当她作为一个成年人更多地控制自己的生活时。4)维多利亚有没有试图效仿的人物？作为一名女王，在英国君主制中是一个罕见的人物，我很想探索维多利亚女王在英国或国外可能拥有的任何女性榜样。这对于探索维多利亚作为一个女性作为君主的角色尤为重要。例如，伊丽莎白一世的统治是由她的人民的崇拜和创新推动的。有一个语料库的材料可用于完成这个项目，我的目标是利用所有的资源，我有机会访问。我将主要使用现有的文献，因为第一手资料将是理解维多利亚自我策展的核心，而这一点迄今为止还没有完成。无论是在学术界还是在公众中，维多利亚女王的生活一直是许多人着迷的源泉。然而，仍然有一种观点认为维多利亚在她自己的统治时期是一个被动的角色，她无法控制周围的环境；一个君主的棋子，这是她同时代人所需要的，也是一个后来被改编以适应她在现代世界的遗产的棋子。

The changing role of the monarchy under Queen Victoria cannot be understated in its significance. Victoria oversaw the transition of monarchy from an institution of some state power to, by the beginning of the twentieth century, one that is recognisable to us today; one of pure ceremony and imagery, with the right only to be consulted, to encourage, and to warn (in the words of Walter Bagehot). It was the presentation of this "symbolic monarch" that required so much attention and maintenance, and this forms the context of this project. The idea of "self-improvement" is one that can apply to any expression in Victoria's spectrum of fronts; as a princess, monarch, empress, wife, mother, widow, woman and individual. As such, I would consider what Victoria's aims were in this constant scheme of improvement, with the ambition of discovering how successful she felt herself to be in achieving those ends. I am initially interested in exploring the following:1) What methods were employed by Victoria to create and maintain an image? Her pioneering method of keeping the monarchy relevant is arguably the reason for its survival, and thus its successful foundation is an important factor in understanding Queen Victoria.2) Did Victoria, as a monarch, adapt the way she expressed herself to different people? One of Victoria's more well-known diary entries contains her overawed reaction to Florence Nightingale when the two met at Balmoral in September 1856. Having access to letters written by the people she met, would be an interesting way to gauge her reactions.3) How did Victoria's methods of self-improvement change throughout her life? There is no doubt that Victoria was accustomed to literary, musical and artistic culture from a young age. I am interested in exploring changes in the material she read, for example, once she took more control of her own life as an adult.4) Were there any figures that Victoria attempted to emulate? As a queen, a rare figure in the British monarchy, I would be curious to explore any female role models that Victoria may have had, either in Britain or abroad. This would be particularly important in exploring Victoria as a woman in her role as monarch. Elizabeth I, for example, was a monarch whose rule was fuelled by the adoration and innovations of her people.There is a corpus of material available for the completion of this project, and I aim to use all the resources I have the opportunity to access. I would principally use the literature available, as primary sources will be central to understanding Victoria's self-curatorship in a way that has thus far not been accomplished. The life of Queen Victoria is one that is constantly a source of fascination to many, in both academic circles and the public. However, there remains the idea that Victoria was a passive character in her own reign, the circumstances of which were out of her control; a monarchical pawn that was what she needed to be to her contemporaries, and one that has since been adapted to suit her legacy in the modern world.