QUEEN VICTORIA’S REIGN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 July 1939, Page 8

QUEEN VICTORIA’S REIGN

SOME INTERESTING ANECDOTES f

In the early years of her reign Queen Victoria shocked Court propriety by insisting upon reviewing her troops on horseback and wearing a specially desighed uniform. The Duke of Wellington objected on the ground of indelicacy, but Victoria routed the old General by declaring: “No horse —no review.” ,

The plans for the Great Exhibition aroused great opposition when they were made public. Contemporary newspapers described the projected Crystal Palace as "This monstrous Greenhouse,” “The over-grown . Conservatory,” “This preposterous transparent and grotesque advertisement.”

The success of the Exhibition was threatened at the last moment by a peculiar hitch. As the architect had been forbidden to cut down any trees in the park, his building was constructed around them. Unfortunately, a large number of sparrows continued to roost in the building with disastrous consequences to hats and exhibits. It was impossible to shoot them because of the glass, and in despair the Duke of Wellington was approached for a solution to the dilemma. The mastertactician of Waterloo thought for a moment and said “Try sparrowhawks.” The victory was won.

The incognito trips of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in the Highlands led to several amusing encounters—particularly with Scottish food. At one inn they encountered for the first dishes which have since become established al! over Britain. These were a breakfast dish made from "some kind of corn,” as it was described in the Queen’s letters, this is now the universal porridge; and finnan haddock, which was described to them as a new way of smoking-fish. Prince Albert's efforts to keep peace between Britain and Russia at the time of the Crimean War only threw him into greater disrepute with the people, who accused him openly of treason. Rioting occurred in London and it was seriously proposed that the Prince should be thrown into the Tower. Bitter lampoons were directed against him, one of which opened with a curiously modern ring: “Oh, Al, You've been a naughty boy.” Anecdotes such as these provide the basis for the film. "Sixty Glorious years.”