The baptism of the future Queen Victoria




The Duchess of Kent and the then Princess Victoria (public domain)

Queen Victoria, or Princess Alexandrina Victoria as she was to be known before taking the throne, was baptised into the Church of England in the Cupola Room of Kensington Palace by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Charles Manners-Sutton.

The private affair, ordered by the Prince Regent (George III’s son, the Prince of Wales and later King George IV) on 24 June 1819 (exactly one month after her birth) saw her names being revealed amongst close family. Her Christian name, Alexandrina was in honour of her godfather, Emperor Alexander I of Russia. Of course, her second name was in honour of her mother, Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld – the Duchess of Kent.

Her godparents were Emperor Alexander I of Russia, the Prince Regent (her paternal uncle); her maternal aunt, Charlotte, Princess Royal (also the Dowager Queen of Württemberg); and her maternal grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

Not much is known about the christening due to its private nature. There are no paintings or much written about it. This could be because, being born fifth in line, it was not certain that she would one day reign, but as her uncles either did not have children or had children who died in infancy, her future role became more apparent.

However, we do know the christening had a bit of controversy, and family squabble as the Duke of Kent wanted to name his daughter Victoria Georgiana Alexandrina Charlotte Augusta, but the Prince Regent would not allow it. Reportedly, as the Archbishop was holding Victoria over the christening font, the family was still in disagreement until the Prince Regent declared that she be named after her godfather. More arguments then ensued as the Duke of Kent wanted her middle name as ‘Elizabeth’, but the Prince Regent rejected that. As such, he finally ordered that she be named after her mother.

The future queen was born in Kensington Palace on 24 May 1819 to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the Duchess of Kent. At the time of her birth, she was fifth in line to the throne; she became Queen of the United Kingdom upon the death of her uncle, William IV in 1837.






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About Brittani Barger 100 Articles
My name is Brittani, and I am from Tennessee, USA. I have a B.A. in Political Science and History from the University of Tennessee: Knoxville, and a master’s degree from Northeastern University. I’ve been passionate about history since I was a child. My favorite areas to study and research are World War II through the Cold War, as well as studying the ancient Romans and Egyptians. Aside from pursuing my passion for writing about history, I am a reporter for Royal News (our sister site!). I am also an avid reader who believes you can never stop learning! On any weekend in the fall, you can find me watching college football (American football) and cheering on my Tennessee Volunteers! You can contact me on Twitter @bbargerRC .

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