Questions people actually ask
Short answers, each with its source. Longer ones live on the topic pages.
When was the Victorian age?
Victoria was queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 to 1901, and empress of India from 1876 to 1901. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Victoria, queen of the United Kingdom The Victorian Age is named after her. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Victoria, queen of the United Kingdom
When was Queen Victoria born and when did she die?
She was born on 24 May 1819 at Kensington Palace in London. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Victoria, queen of the United Kingdom She died on 22 January 1901 at Osborne, near Cowes on the Isle of Wight. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Victoria, queen of the United Kingdom
How old was Victoria when she became queen?
She became queen at the age of 18. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Victoria, queen of the United Kingdom She learned in the early hours of 20 June 1837 that King William IV had died and that she was queen. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Victoria, queen of the United Kingdom
Who was Prince Albert?
Victoria proposed to her cousin Albert on 15 October 1839, just five days after he arrived at Windsor. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Victoria, queen of the United Kingdom The idea grew from the Royal Society of Arts, whose president was Prince Albert. V&A: The Great Exhibition of 1851
What was the Great Exhibition?
It was the first “world’s fair”. V&A: The Great Exhibition of 1851 Over six million visitors came to the Great Exhibition in London’s Hyde Park during its five and a half months in 1851. V&A: The Great Exhibition of 1851
Where did the Crystal Palace go?
The Crystal Palace was rebuilt at Sydenham, and Victoria and Albert opened it there on 10 June 1854. It was destroyed by fire in 1936. V&A: The Great Exhibition of 1851
Who was Isambard Kingdom Brunel?
Isambard Kingdom Brunel was a British engineer, born in Portsmouth on 9 April 1806. He died on 15 September 1859. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Isambard Kingdom Brunel His three ships, the Great Western (1837), Great Britain (1843) and Great Eastern (1858), were each the largest in the world when launched. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Isambard Kingdom Brunel
What was a workhouse?
Apart from special cases, poor people could now only get help if they left their homes and went into a workhouse. The National Archives: Examine an anti-Poor Law poster Conditions inside the workhouse were made harsh on purpose. The National Archives: Examine an anti-Poor Law poster
What was a ragged school?
Ragged schools were charities that aimed to give free education to poor children. British Library: Education in Victorian Britain By 1861 ragged schools were teaching over 40,000 children in London. British Library: Education in Victorian Britain
When did school become compulsory?
In 1880 elementary schooling was made compulsory for boys and girls, and the age was raised to 13. British Library: Education in Victorian Britain
Who were the Chartists?
Chartism was a working-class movement that began in London in 1836 and was most active between 1838 and 1848. The National Archives: What was Chartism? The People’s Charter had six aims: a vote for all men over 21, a secret ballot, no property qualification to become an MP, pay for MPs, electoral districts of equal size, and elections for Parliament every year. The National Archives: What was Chartism?
Are the Victorians on the KS2 curriculum?
At Key Stage 2, one suggested study is the changing power of monarchs, using case studies such as John, Anne and Victoria. GOV.UK (DfE): National curriculum in England, history programmes of study · checked 30 Oct 2026 Other Key Stage 2 examples include a significant turning point in British history, such as the first railways, and changes in an aspect of social history, such as crime and punishment. GOV.UK (DfE): National curriculum in England, history programmes of study · checked 30 Oct 2026
Good sources don’t always give the same figure, and some numbers from the 1800s were estimates even then. Each fact here links to who said it, and things that can change, like what the curriculum says, show the date we checked them. See when sources disagree for every difference side by side.