In Young Victoria, I was interested most in how weak and dependent Victoria was shown to be prior to ascending the throne. In the film, the Queen’s mother, the Duchess of Kent, and Sir John Conroy seem to have full control over Victoria, not allowing her to sleep in her own room, spend time without adults, or even walk down the stairs without holding the hand of her mother, governess, or tutor. This sets up Victoria’s coronation to be extremely powerful, as it not only made her Queen, but gives her more control over her own decisions. Historically this is documented to be accurate. There was a set of rules known as the Kensington System that dictated Victoria’s freedoms prior to her coronation. The system essentially forced Victoria to be under her mother’s supervision at all times. The ultimate goal of the rules “was to bring up [Victoria] to be utterly dependent on her mother. Through Conroy’s influence over the Duchess of Kent… he would then in effect be King of England.” In the film Conroy even attempts to make Victoria sign papers, when is representative of his actual attempts to officially give her mother powers as regent. The film makes the relationship between Victoria, her mother, and Conroy appear dramatic at times, but it is historically accurate. The choice to emphasize this in the film created a greater contrast with Victoria later in the film and ultimately allowed for more character development.
Vallone, Lynne. “Victoria as a Girl: The Patient Rebel.” BBC History. BBC, 29 Mar. 2011. Web. 2 Sept. 2013.
Woodham-Smith, Cecil. “Sir John Conroy.” PBS, n.d. Web. 2 Sept. 2013.