Main Content

Queen Victoria's private journals open for the month of June


The Queen's Diamond Jubilee was over on June 5, following a weekend of celebrations including a military flyover and a 60 gun salute to celebrate Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II's 60 years on the throne to date.

However, for the rest of the month of June you can explore the private records of another queen, Victoria, who reigned from 1837-1901 and became the namesake of the historical era.

Queen Victoria's Journals, a collection of the Bodleian Libraries at The University of Oxford and The Royal Archives, are being made available to the public this month through database vendor Proquest, which also manages the resources and Heritage Quest, both part of the library's electronic databases collection.

At the journal site you can explore a timeline of Victoria's life, browse her journals, or skim through the dozens of small drawings she made as she encountered friends and strangers.There is also a "real time" Twitter feed of the Queen's activities during her own Diamond Jubilee.

Victoria, to date the longest ruling monarch in British history, became the first British Monarch to enjoy a Diamond Jubilee in June, 1897. Elizabeth II is the second monarch to enjoy such a long time on the throne.

When you're finished with the far past, step forward a few decades and follow the life of current monarch Elizabeth II through the Diamond Jubilee website, a site produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which features radio and video broadcasts made by the queen throughout her life, starting with a moving wartime speech given to the nation in 1940 when she was 14 years old as part of the BBC Children's Hour.

Whether you are into history, or just a fan of British culture, there is sure to be something to capture your interest.