Queen Victoria and her husband had 9 children.  The eldest was named Victoria, known as Vicky.  Vicky’s marriage at age 17 to Prince Frederick William of Prussia would be the start of Queen Victoria’s diplomacy-through-marriage strategy that would make her known as the Grandmother of Europe.  The similarities between mother and daughter were striking—starting [...]

By the early 19th century, London’s churchyards were filled to overflowing with coffins—some buried up to six deep.  Something had to be done, thus was the idea of a “garden cemetery” born.  In 1832, Parliament passed a bill that would establish several private cemeteries outside the existing London city limits.  By 1841, there were [...]

Punch Magazine, which ran from 1841-2002, was a British humor and satire magazine.  Known for its wit and irreverence in its coverage of both politics and cultural trends, the magazine introduced the term “cartoon” to refer to comic drawings in 1843.  It became an institution in the Victorian era, and today’s podcast explores the [...]

In this episode, we explore the magnificent pomp and circumstance surrounding the ascension of the second-longest reigning monarch of Great Britain, Queen Victoria. By the time she assumed the throne at the tender age of 18, she had overcome a stifling and lonely childhood, and was ready to wear the specially-made crown worth around [...]

Welcome to the 4th episode of The Queen is Not Amused, where we examine the life of a truly wonderful Victorian, Joseph Lister. A British surgeon known as the pioneer of antiseptic surgery, Lister was single-handedly responsible for reducing surgical deaths by 80%. Inspired by Louis Pasteur and aided by his devoted wife, Agnes, [...]

Welcome to the 3rd episode of The Queen is Not Amused. In this episode, we briefly explore the life of Marie Grosholtz, who would one day become the famous Madame Tussaud. Born fatherless, Marie’s story might have ended up a brief tale of poverty and death. Instead, she was able to sail the tumultuous [...]

Welcome to the 2nd episode of The Queen is not Amused. Those weird and wonderful Victorians hit upon an exceptionally genius method of taking care of their dead, after suffering from decades of overcrowded graveyards, decaying bodies contaminating the water, and the hazards of digging inside cemeteries with unmarked graves in them. Take a [...]

Welcome to the inaugural episode of The Queen is not Amused.  For our first journey with those weird and wonderful Victorians, spend a few minutes inside an undertaker’s shop.  Experience what he does on a daily basis, learn about his greatest fear, and step through the planning of a funeral.  Those Victorians knew how [...]