The prim British in the era of the reign of Queen Victoria seem to be an example of decorum and good manners. It's hard to imagine, but the British of those years wore pantaloons with a hole in the most interesting place, and reputable doctors saved them from hysteria with a thorough massage ... of the clitoris. Rotten food and canned food with arsenic, dead children in the photo, the glutton queen, and other strange and nasty facts about the Victorian era.

Doctors of that era treated hysteria in women with masturbation.

In those days, female "hysteria" (i.e. restlessness, irritability, nervousness and other similar symptoms) was seen as a serious problem. But doctors have discovered that these symptoms can be relieved temporarily with "finger massage in the intimate area," which, if done correctly, will cause "hysterical paroxysm."

Victorian pantaloons were, as it were, cut in two, the halves for each leg were cut separately and connected with ties or buttons at the waist, on the back. Thus the crotch (i.e., the crotch) was opened, which could be very convenient in certain cases, which we, being very well-mannered, will not mention.

Many historians believe that due to the lack of special hygiene products at that time and the fact that women's clothing consisted of many layers of fabric, most women during menstruation did nothing at all and allowed blood secretions to freely flow out and soak into petticoats. Other solutions to the delicate problem were the use of cloth diapers, which were fastened with a belt, or sheep's wool, which was glued to the vulva with lard. Thank God modern women have pads and tampons.

In the Victorian era, there were no such useful items as a safety razor. And although depilation formulations were already invented then, they were very toxic and were used only to remove hair from the face and hands. So the armpits, legs and intimate area were terribly overgrown. But given that they were all hidden under several layers of clothing, it didn't matter.

By 1860, about a thousand tons of feces were dumped into the waters of the Thames every day, since there was simply no other storage for sewage. And at the same time, the river was the main source of drinking water for the inhabitants of London. People were dying like flies from dysentery, cholera and typhoid, believing that dirty air was to blame. Oh, how wrong they were!

An 1891 written account by Lady Harburton states that during a short walk around London, the hem of her long dress gathered together: two cigar butts, nine cigarettes, a piece of pork pie, four toothpicks, two hairpins, a piece of cat food, half the sole of a shoe , tobacco bar (chewed), straw, dirt, scraps of paper and God knows what else.

The "Age of Crinolines" lasted from 1850 to 1870. At that time, the dome-shaped shirred skirt became the basis of the women's toilet, the shape of which was given by numerous petticoats. Sometimes a lady in such an outfit really could not squeeze through the door. And you could inadvertently touch the candle and knock it over yourself, and this is really life-threatening. The satirical magazine Punch even advised husbands to purchase insurance for their wives specifically in case of fire due to crinolines. So this fashion trend did not last long.

Before the invention of pasteurization, milk could be a source of tuberculosis. It was impossible to rely on the safety of products, especially those bought in large cities. Unscrupulous traders sold rotten meat mixed with fresh carcass fat; bakers added alum and chalk to the dough to make the bread whiter. Arsenic was added to pickles and other canned foods to enhance the taste and make it brighter. Well, kill the buyer.

Victoria hated spicy food, but as the ruler of India, she insisted on making curry every day - just in case "oriental people" came to visit her.

As a child, Victoria was brought up in great strictness and was not allowed to eat much, so when she became queen, she did everything to catch up. She ate a lot and at an incredible speed, which was a problem for her guests - after all, according to etiquette, they had to finish each dish as soon as the queen finished eating it (even if they managed to bite off only a piece). In general, by today's standards, Queen Victoria was a rather obese woman.

A beauty-advice writer recommended to readers: "Make a mask every night using thin slices of raw beef, which is said to protect the skin from wrinkles and give it a freshness." Of course, if your dog does not gnaw your face in a dream.

This Russian boy was called Fedor Evtikhiev, and he suffered. Fyodor and his father Adrian were presented to the public as "the two greatest curiosities of our time." Their faces were covered with hair, which made them look like Skye Terriers. Subsequently, Andrian died from complications caused by alcoholism, but Fedor continued to "please people" for many more years.

In wealthy families, small children, regardless of gender, were usually dressed in white, elegantly decorated dresses with frills and lace. And bonnets with ribbons were also the same for both girls and boys.

The highest infant mortality rate was, of course, in the slums. The slums of Seven Dials in London and Angel Meadow in Manchester were so creepy they were called hell on earth. Manchester had over 30,000 workers, mostly Irish immigrants, in an area of ​​just one square mile. The children there were left to their own devices, eating whatever garbage they could find, and some even eating cats and rats.

Rich people usually took photos, and those who could not afford this expensive pleasure hired an artist. For example, a kind-hearted artist named John Callcott Horsley often visited morgues to paint portraits of recently deceased children. Such a posthumous image was often the only memory of departed relatives.

In the Victorian era, when gluttony coexisted with incredible frugality, not a single piece of food was wasted. For example, whole veal heads were boiled for dinner, and brains were cooked as a separate dish: they looked like pink blocks floating in an oily sauce. Veal ears were shaved, boiled, and then fried in boiling oil. A kind of feast in the style of Hannibal Lecter.

Darwin not only studied rare animals, but also loved to feast on them. He joined the Cambridge Gluttony Club, whose members ate unusual dishes from hawks, squirrels, grubs and owls. And while traveling, the scientist tasted an iguana, a giant tortoise, an armadillo and a cougar.

Considering the Victorian era in a global context, it should be noted that it was marked for a significant number of states - the British colonies - by gaining greater independence and freedom, as well as the opportunity to develop their own political life. In addition, those discoveries that were made in Britain at that time were important not only for the country, but for all mankind as a whole. The appearance in Britain of several outstanding representatives of art at once and, first of all, fiction influenced the development of world art. For example, the work of the English writer Charles Dickens had a significant impact on the development of the Russian novel.

If we consider the significance of this period for Britain itself, it should be noted that the Victorian era occupies a very special place in the history of Great Britain. This period of British history is characterized by two main circumstances. First of all, it is that during the Victorian era, Britain did not participate in any significant wars on the international stage, apart from the infamous Opium Wars in China. There was also no serious tension in British society, caused by the expectation of some catastrophe from outside. Since British society has been and remains rather closed and fixated on itself, this circumstance seems to be especially important. The second circumstance is that interest in religious issues has grown significantly with the simultaneous rapid development of scientific thought and self-discipline of the human person, which was based on the tenets of puritanism.

The development of scientific thought in the Victorian era was such that, as the importance of Darwinism increased and in the wake of new scientific discoveries, even British agnostics turned their criticism towards the main tenets of Christianity. Many non-conformists, including, for example, the Anglo-Catholic W. Gladstone, viewed the domestic and foreign policy of the British Empire through the prism of their own religious beliefs.

The Victorian era was marked by the acquisition of new social functions by Britain, which was required by new industrial conditions and rapid population growth. As for personal development, it was built on self-discipline and self-confidence, reinforced by the Wesleyan and evangelical movements.

Distinctive features of the Victorian era

The beginning of the Victorian era dates back to 1837, when Queen Victoria ascended the English throne. At that time she was 18 years old. The reign of Queen Victoria lasted for 63 years until 1901.

Despite the fact that the period of Victorian rule was a time of unprecedented change in the history of Great Britain, the foundations of society in the Victorian era remained unchanged.

The industrial revolution in Britain led to a significant increase in the number of factories, warehouses, and shops. There was a rapid increase in population, which led to the growth of cities. In the 1850s, the whole of Britain was covered by a network of railroads, which greatly improved the position of industrialists, as it facilitated the delivery of goods and raw materials. Britain has become a highly productive country that has left other European states far behind. At the international industrial exhibition of 1851, the success of the country was appreciated, Britain deserved the title of "workshop of the world." The leading positions in industrial production remained until the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries. However, it was not without negative aspects. Unsanitary conditions were characteristic of the working quarters of industrial cities. Child labor was ubiquitous, and low wages were combined with poor working conditions and exhausting long hours.

The Victorian era was marked by the strengthening of the position of the middle class, which led to the dominance of its core values ​​in society. In honor were sobriety, punctuality, diligence, frugality, thriftiness. These qualities soon became the norm, as their usefulness in the new industrial world was undeniable. Queen Victoria herself acted as an example of such behavior. Her life, completely subordinated to family and duty, differed significantly from the lives of her two predecessors on the throne. Victoria's example had an impact on much of the aristocracy, which led to the rejection of the high-profile and scandalous lifestyle that characterized the previous generation. The example of the aristocracy was followed by the highly skilled part of the working class.

At the heart of all the achievements of the Victorian era, of course, are the values ​​and energy of the middle class. At the same time, it cannot be said that all the features of this middle class were an example to follow. Among the negative features so often ridiculed in the pages of English literature of that period are the philistine belief that prosperity is the reward for virtue, and the extreme puritanism in family life that engendered hypocrisy and guilt.

Religion played a big role in the Victorian era, despite the fact that a significant part of the British population was not at all deeply religious. Various Protestant movements, such as Methodists and Congregationalists, as well as the evangelical wing of the Anglican Church, had a great influence on the minds of the people. At the same time, there was a revival Roman Catholic Church, as well as the Anglo-Catholic movement within the Anglican Church. Their main postulates were adherence to dogma and ritual.

Despite the significant success of Britain during this period, the Victorian era was also a period of doubt and disappointment. This was due to the fact that the progress of science undermined faith in the inviolability of biblical truths. At the same time, there was no significant growth of atheists, and atheism itself still remained an unacceptable system of views for society and the church. Thus, for example, the famous political figure who advocated social reforms and freedom of thought, Charles Bradlow, who became famous among other things for his militant atheism, was able to get a seat in the House of Commons only in 1880 after a series of unsuccessful attempts.

The publication in 1859 of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species had a great influence on the revision of religious dogmas. This book had the effect of an exploding bomb. Darwin's theory of evolution refuted the previously seemingly indisputable fact that man is the result of divine creation and, by the will of God, stands above all other forms of life. According to Darwin's theory, man developed in the process of evolution of the natural world in the same way as all other animal species developed. This work caused a wave of harsh criticism from religious leaders and the conservative-minded part of the scientific community.

Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that England experienced an undoubted surge of interest in science, which resulted in a number of large-scale scientific discoveries, but at the same time the country itself remained quite conservative in terms of lifestyle and value system. The rapid development of Britain from an agrarian state to an industrial state led to the rapid growth of cities and the emergence of new jobs, but did not alleviate the situation of workers and their living conditions.

Page from the first edition of On the Origin of Species

The political structure of the country

The Victorian Parliament was more representative than during the reigns of Queen Victoria's predecessors. He listened more than in previous times to public opinion. In 1832, before Victoria had ascended the throne, a parliamentary reform gave the vote to a large section of the middle class. The laws of 1867 and 1884 gave the majority of adult males the right to vote. At the same time, a stormy campaign was launched for the granting of suffrage to women.

During the reign of Victoria, the government was no longer subordinate to the reigning monarch. This rule was established under William IV (1830-37). Despite the fact that the queen was highly respected, her influence on the ministers and the political decisions they made was extremely small. Ministers were subordinate to Parliament and primarily to the House of Commons. But since party discipline in those days was not tough enough, the decisions of the ministers were not always implemented. By the 1860s, the Whigs and Tories had formed into much more clearly organized parties, the Liberal and the Conservative. The Liberal Party was led by William Gladstone and the Conservative Party by Benjamin Disraeli. However, the discipline in both parties was too liberal to keep them from splitting. The Ireland problem had a constant influence on the policy pursued by Parliament. The famine of 1845-46 forced Robert Peel to reconsider the grain trade laws that kept the price of British agricultural products high. The "Free Trade Act" was introduced as part of a general Victorian movement to create a more open, competitive society.

Meanwhile, Peel's decision to repeal the Corn Laws divided the Conservative Party. Twenty years later, William Gladstone's activities, in his own words, aimed at appeasing Ireland, and his commitment to a policy of self-government, caused a split among the Liberals.

During this reformist period, the foreign policy environment remained relatively calm. The conflict came to a head in 1854-56, when Britain and France unleashed Crimean War with Russia. But this conflict was only local in nature. The campaign was aimed at curbing Russian imperial ambitions in the Balkans. In fact, it was just one of the rounds in the protracted Eastern Question (a diplomatic issue linked to the decline of the Turkish Ottoman Empire) - the only thing that seriously affected Britain in the pan-European politics of the Victorian era. In 1878, England was on the brink of another war with Russia, but remained aloof from the European alliances that subsequently split the continent. Salisbury, British Prime Minister Robert Arthur Talbot, called this policy of not lasting alliances with other powers a brilliant isolation.

Based on available data, the Victorian era was a period of parliamentary restructuring, as well as the formation and strengthening of the main parties that exist in Britain today. At the same time, the nominal power of the monarch made it impossible for him to have a significant influence on the political life of the country. The figure of the monarch became more and more a tribute to the traditions and foundations of Britain, losing its political weight. This position continues to this day.

British foreign policy

The Victorian era for Britain was marked by the expansion of colonial possessions. True, the loss of the American colonies led to the fact that the idea of ​​new conquests in this area was not very popular. Until 1840, Britain did not seek new colonies, but was engaged in protecting its trade routes and supporting its interests outside the state. At that time, one of the black pages of British history falls - the opium wars with China, which were caused by the struggle for the right to sell Indian opium in China.

In Europe, Britain supported the weakening Ottoman Empire in its fight against Russia. In 1890, the moment came for the redistribution of Africa. It was to be divided into so-called "zones of interest". The undoubted conquests of Britain in this case were Egypt and the Suez Canal. The British occupation of Egypt continued until 1954.

Some colonies of Britain during that period received additional privileges. For example, Canada, New Zealand and Australia received the right to form a government, which weakened their dependence on Britain. At the same time, Queen Victoria remained the head of state in these countries.

By the end of the 19th century, Britain was the strongest maritime power, and also controlled a significant part of the land. However, the colonies were sometimes an exorbitant burden for the state, since they required significant cash injections.

Problems haunted Britain not only overseas, but also on its own territory. They mainly came from Scotland and Ireland. At the same time, for example, the population of Wales quadrupled over the 19th century and amounted to 2 million people. Wales boasted rich coal deposits in the south, making it the center of a booming coal mining and iron and steel industry. This resulted in almost two-thirds of the country's population seeking to move south in search of work. By 1870, Wales had become an industrial country, although there were significant areas in the north where farming flourished, and most of the inhabitants were poor peasants. The reforms of Parliament allowed the people of Wales to get rid of the families of wealthy landowners who had represented them in Parliament for 300 years.

Scotland was divided into industrial and rural areas. The industrial zone was located near Glasgow and Edinburgh. The industrial revolution dealt a heavy blow to the inhabitants of the mountainous regions. The collapse of the clan system that had existed there for centuries was a real tragedy for them.

Ireland brought many problems to England, the battle for the freedom of which resulted in a large-scale war between Catholics and Protestants. In 1829, Catholics gained the right to participate in parliamentary elections, which only strengthened the sense of national identity of the Irish and encouraged them to continue their struggle with great effort.

Based on the data presented, we can conclude that the main task of Britain of that period in the foreign policy arena was not to conquer new territories, but to maintain order in the old ones. The British Empire has grown so much that the management of all its colonies has become quite problematic. This led to the granting of additional privileges to the colonies and the reduction of the role that Britain had previously played in their political life. The rejection of strict control of the colonial territories was due to the problems that existed on the territory of Britain itself, and the solution of which became a paramount task. It should be noted that some of these problems have not been properly solved so far. This is especially true of the Catholic-Protestant confrontation in Northern Ireland.

Interesting Facts
about Queen Victoria and the Victorian era

May 24, 1819 Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was born. On the birthday of the great queen, we remember Interesting Facts about her and the era named after her - the "Victorian era".

Queen Victoria

The Queen's full name is Georgina Charlotte Augusta Alexandrina Victoria. It was named in honor of the Prince Regent, close relatives and the Russian Tsar.

It was after the wedding of Victoria that a tradition appeared when all brides wear a white dress.

For the British queen, English was not native. Her mother, the daughter of a German duke, always spoke German at home and therefore Victoria never learned to speak fluent English.

Queen Victoria
became queen at 18

- Victoria was on the throne for 64 years, a record time for a monarch. Her birthday is still celebrated as a holiday in Canada. At the same time, Victoria spent 40 years of her life as a widow. She constantly wore a black dress, and among the people and in the army she was nicknamed: "The Widow."

The happiest day, according to Victoria, is the day of marriage with "her angel" Prince Albert. By the way, since she was the queen, it was the queen who proposed to Albert, and not vice versa.

Victoria at 4

Victoria had 9 children and 34 grandchildren. However, the queen did not like small children and was squeamish about babies. The queen experienced the disadvantages of longevity - she outlived her three children.

Victoria liked to drink a cocktail called Vin Mariani. One of its main ingredients was cocaine.

Victoria wrote 8,000 letters to her eldest daughter Vika, who was married to Germany.

Height at Queen Victoria
was 1 m 52 cm

- Victoria's first letter to Russia, dated 1837 and addressed to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (wife of Nicholas I), is nothing more than gratitude for congratulations on the occasion of her accession to the throne.

One day, Queen Victoria was at a diplomatic reception in London, where an African leader was the guest of honor. Everything was going well until dinner arrived. Each person present was given a bowl to wash their hands. The African did not know what this object was intended for and drank the entire contents of the bowl.

All the lords were simply stunned by what they saw and began to whisper, but the queen found a way out of the situation. She followed the example of the African guest, and all the courtiers followed her. This act of the queen allowed the African leader to avoid embarrassment.

Victorian era

- hallmark This era is the absence of significant wars (with the exception of the Crimean), which allowed the country to develop intensively - in particular in the field of infrastructure development, construction of railways.

In the field of economics, the industrial revolution and the development of capitalism continued during this period.

By the end of the 19th century Britain
was the strongest maritime power

- The social image of this era is characterized by a strict moral code (gentlemanship), which reinforced conservative values ​​and class differences.

In area foreign policy British colonial expansion continued in Asia and Africa.

1851 International Industrial Exhibition
Lithograph by A. Butler in Hansen M. 2000 Years of London.
Illustrated History, 1967

The industrial revolution during this era in Britain led to a significant increase in the number of factories, warehouses, shops. There was a rapid increase in population, which led to the growth of cities. The leading positions in industrial production remained until the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries.

In the 1850s, the whole of Britain was covered by a network of railroads, which greatly improved the position of industrialists, as it facilitated the delivery of goods and raw materials. Britain has become a highly productive country that has left other European states far behind

At the heart of many achievements
Victorian era
lie the values ​​and energies of the middle class

- Despite the significant success of Britain during this period, the Victorian era was also a period of doubt and disappointment. This was due to the fact that the progress of science undermined faith in the inviolability of biblical truths.

At the same time, there was no significant growth of atheists, and atheism itself still remained an unacceptable system of views for society and the church.

The Victorian era was marked by the strengthening of the position of the middle class, which led to the dominance of its core values ​​in society. In honor were sobriety, punctuality, diligence, frugality, thriftiness.

These qualities soon became the norm, as their usefulness in the new industrial world was undeniable. Queen Victoria herself acted as an example of such behavior.

Earliest known photo of Victoria,
showing her with her eldest daughter, taken circa 1845

The rapid development of Britain from an agrarian state to an industrial state led to the rapid growth of cities and the emergence of new jobs, but did not alleviate the situation of workers and their living conditions.

The Victorian era was a period of parliamentary restructuring, as well as the formation and strengthening of the main parties that exist in Britain today.

Victorian era for Britain
was marked by the expansion
colonial possessions

- By the end of the 19th century, Britain was the strongest maritime power, and also controlled a significant part of the land.

The main task of Britain of that period in the foreign policy arena was not the conquest of new territories, but the maintenance of order in the old ones.

In the Victorian era, real erotic and pornographic literary works like My Secret Life were in circulation. There was even a pornographic magazine, The Pearl… But the Victorian code of conduct, in fact, required not the absence of sins in a person - the main thing was that they should not be known in society.
The reign of Queen Victoria

The cheerful 19-year-old girl who ascended the British throne in 1837 could hardly imagine what associations her name would evoke a hundred years later. And after all, the Victorian era was far from the worst time in British history - literature flourished, economics and science developed rapidly, the colonial empire reached the peak of its power ... However, perhaps the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the name of this queen is “Victorian morality ".

The current attitude towards this phenomenon is at best ironic, more often frankly negative. AT English language the word "Victorian" is still a synonym for the concepts of "sanctimonious", "hypocritical". Although the era named after the queen had little to do with her personality. The social symbol "Her Majesty Queen Victoria" meant not her personal views, but the basic values ​​​​of the time - the monarchy, the church, the family. And these values ​​were postulated even before the crown was placed on Victoria.

The period of her reign (1837-1901) for the internal life of England was a time of calm digestion after a grandiose gluttony. The previous centuries were filled with revolutions, riots, Napoleonic wars, colonial conquests... And regarding morality itself, British society in previous times was by no means distinguished by excessive strictness of morals and stiffness of behavior. The British knew a lot about the joys of life and indulged in them quite unbridled - with the exception of a not too long period of existence in the country of a powerful puritan movement (which for a time turned England into a republic). But with the restoration of the monarchy, a long period of considerable relaxation of morals began.

Generations of Hanover

The generations of Hanoverians preceding Victoria led a very dissolute life. For example, King William IV, Victoria's uncle, made no secret of the fact that he had ten illegitimate children. George IV was also known as a womanizer (despite the fact that his waist circumference reached 1.5 meters.), An alcoholic, and also drove the royal house into huge debts.

Prestige of the British Monarchy

was at that time as low as ever - and no matter what Victoria herself dreamed of, time pushed her to a fundamentally different strategy of behavior. She did not demand high morality from society - society demanded this from her. The monarch, as you know, is a hostage of her position ... But there were reasons to believe that she inherited the extremely passionate temperament of the Hanoverians. For example, she collected images of male nudes… She even presented one picture to her husband, Prince Albert, and never did this again…

Victorian code of conduct

She got her husband quite appropriate to the trends of the time. Albert was so puritanical that he "felt physically unwell at the mere thought of adultery." In this, he was the exact opposite of his closest relatives: his parents divorced; father, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha Ernst I, was just an enchanting womanizer who did not miss a skirt - as well as Albert's brother, Duke Ernst II.

The Victorian code of conduct is a declaration of every conceivable virtue. Diligence, punctuality, moderation, thriftiness et cetera… In fact, no one calculated or formulated all these principles. The most concise summary of their essence is contained, oddly enough, in the novel by American Margaret Mitchell "Gone with the Wind": "You are required to do a thousand of some unnecessary things just because it has always been done" ...

Of course, the notion that “it has always been done this way” was a lie. But in any society suddenly engulfed in the struggle for morality, a look at the past acquires a “Chinese accent”: history is presented not as it was, but as it should have been.

Victorian persecution of sensuality

Victorianism erected especially cruel persecutions on sensuality. Men and women had to forget that they had a body. The only parts of it that were allowed to be opened in the house were the hands and face. On the street, a man without a high standing collar and tie, a woman without gloves, were considered naked. All of Europe has long been fastening pants with buttons, and only in England did they use ropes and laces.

There were a huge number of euphemisms, for example, to call hands and feet otherwise than “limbs” was very indecent. Feelings and emotions were written and spoken mainly in the language of flowers. The curve of the neck of a shot bird in a still life was perceived in the same way as an erotic photograph is now (it is not surprising that offering a bird's leg to a woman at dinner was considered rude) ...

The principle of "separation of the sexes"

At the feast, the principle of “separation of the sexes” was observed: at the end of the meal, the women left, the men remained to smoke a cigar, skip a glass of port wine and talk. By the way, the custom of leaving the company without saying goodbye (“departure in English”) really existed, but in England it was called “departure in Scotch” (in Scotland - “departure in French”, and in France - “departure in Russian” ).

Open manifestations of sympathy between a man and a woman were strictly forbidden. The rules of everyday communication recommended that the spouses address each other officially in front of strangers (Mr. So-and-so, Mrs. So-and-so), so that the morality of those around them would not suffer from playfulness of tone. The height of swagger was considered an attempt to speak with a stranger.

The word "love" was completely taboo. The limit of frankness in the explanations was the password "Can I hope?" with the response "I have to think."

courtship

Courtship consisted of ritual conversations and symbolic gestures. For example, a sign of affection was the gracious permission of a young man to carry the young lady's prayer book upon his return from Sunday service.

A girl was considered compromised if she was left alone with a man for a minute. The widower was forced either to leave with an adult unmarried daughter, or to hire a companion in the house - otherwise he would be suspected of incest.

Girls were not supposed to know anything about sex and childbearing. It is not surprising that the wedding night often became a tragedy for a woman - up to suicide attempts.

The pregnant woman was a sight that offended Victorian morality beyond measure. She locked herself within four walls, hid the "shame" from herself with the help of a dress of a special cut. God forbid to mention in a conversation that she is “pregnant” - only “in an interesting situation” or “in happy waiting”.

It was believed that a sick woman was more worthy to die than to allow a male doctor to perform “shameful” medical manipulations on her. Doctors' offices were equipped with blank screens with a hole for one hand, so that the physician could feel the pulse or touch the patient's forehead to determine the heat.

statistical fact

: in the years 1830-1870, about 40% of English women remained unmarried, although there was no shortage of men. And the point here is not only the difficulties of courtship - the matter also rested on class and group prejudices: the concept of misalliance (unequal marriage) was brought to the point of absurdity.

Who to whom is a couple and not a couple - was solved at the level of a complex algebraic problem. Thus, the conflict that occurred between their ancestors in the 15th century could prevent the marriage of the offspring of two aristocratic families. A successful rural merchant did not dare to marry his daughter to the butler's son, for the representative of the "senior master's servants", even without a penny behind his soul, stood immeasurably higher than the shopkeeper on the social ladder.

Classes in English society

However, harsh Victorian rules were introduced into English society only to the level of the lower middle class. The common people - peasants, factory workers, small traders, sailors and soldiers - lived very differently. It was in high society that children were innocent angels who had to be protected from the world in every possible way - children from the lower social strata began working in mines or factories as early as 5-6 years old ... What can we say about other aspects of life. Ordinary people have never heard of all sorts of politeness in relations between the sexes ...

However, things were not so simple in high society either. It circulated real erotic and pornographic literary works like "My Secret Life". There was even a pornographic magazine The Pearl... But the Victorian code of conduct, in fact, required not the absence of sins in a person - the main thing was that they should not be known in society.

Born a little before the accession of Her Majesty, Victorianism died before her. This is well seen in English literature. The three Brontë sisters are complete mature Victorians. The late Dickens recorded signs of the destruction of the Victorian codex. And Shaw and Wells have only described the "Canterville Ghost" of the Victorian era. Wells was a particularly remarkable figure: the author of popular novels was a desperate, top-notch womanizer. And he was proud of it.

The Victorian era in Great Britain is the period of the reign of Queen Victoria, which lasted more than 60 years. This time is considered one of the most important for the history of England. Some historians consider the Victorian era the country's golden age. And those who are not interested in history know very little about this interesting period. Let's expand our horizons, at the same time find out the origins of the national mentality of the British.

Interesting facts about Victorian England

English conservative values ​​were entrenched in the Victorian era. This was the time of the development of gentlemanship - a strict system of moral values ​​mainly for men of noble birth. Gentlemen - men with perfect manners, balanced behavior, impeccable reputation. They should not be seen in anything reprehensible. The sins themselves were not forbidden, but it was impossible to allow society to become aware of any flaws.

Because of its association with conservatism and strict moral values, the word victorian in English it is often used as a synonym for the words "hypocritical", "prudish". The queen herself was not directly involved in such sentiments, it was simply time for Britain to cool off after the dissolute generation of Hanover.

Due to moral principles, people dressed in such a way that they completely covered the body, leaving only the face and, in some cases, the hands exposed. Men on the street had to wear a high stand-up collar, and a woman had to wear gloves. Buttons were already widely used in Europe, but it was only in Victorian England that trousers were fastened with laces.

These strict norms were carried to the point of absurdity by the British in the Victorian era. For example, it was impossible to pronounce the name of body parts without using euphemisms. Even such harmless words as "leg" or "arm" were replaced by the term "limbs". Furniture legs were covered with special covers. And to offer a lady a chicken leg during dinner was considered indecent.

Of course, moral standards are not the only interesting phenomenon of Victorian England, but, undoubtedly, the most famous and multifaceted. One of the most noticeable features of this period is the absence of major wars, the country rested in peacetime, developing infrastructure, economy, culture and other areas. The population of Great Britain doubled during the reign of Queen Victoria.

The Victorian era was rich in inventions: the sewing machine, camera, telephone, vacuum cleaner, train, newspaper printing, toilet, radio, police, steam engine and many other important inventions appeared at this time. So this period was not as ridiculous as it might seem at first glance.