Queen Victoria shaped European history with the tool of dynastic marriages

Q

ueen Victoria knew the significant role of dynastic material alliance in extending royal influence ever since she took the charge of Great Britain. Prince Albert and Queen Victoria’s aim was to safeguard Britain through dynastic marriages between their nine children and European royalties.

Queen Victoria knew the significant role of dynastic material alliance in extending royal influence ever since she took the charge of Great Britain. Prince Albert and Queen Victoria’s aim was to safeguard Britain through dynastic marriages between their nine children and European royalties. Each royal nuptial bridged the gap between British liberal values and rest of the continent. Moreover, it worked as a medium to push back against the establishing forces of republication, revolution and war which emerged after the Napoleonic war.

This scheme of uniting strong, independent countries began to take shape in 1858, when Princess Victoria (Vicky), the eldest daughter of the Queen got married to Prussian prince, Frederick. However, after the death of Prince Albert, the Queen renewed the mission to fulfill the only wish of her husband – a federal Europe. Inspired by Vicky’s grand foreign alliance, she married her second daughter, Princess Alice to another German prince, Louis, the heir of Hesse. Prince Albert Edward, her oldest son married Danish princess, Alexandra. These two nuptials established a strong connection between Britain and Denmark and Germany.

With a potential statement of allied national interests and ideas, Queen Victoria later did dynastic wedlock of her another four children in royal families of Germany. In the second half of 19th century, she had 42 grandchildren living in different parts of Europe. The queen’s more than 30 grandchildren got an automatic entry into the world’s most exclusive dating agency. Because of the Queen, one beautiful princess had heirs of several thrones to choose from. The queen uniquely helped her grandchildren in navigating the mysteries of the royal marriage market of Europe. She married her favorite granddaughter princess Alexandra of Denmark to her oldest British grandson, Prince Albert Victor.

The vision of Victoria and Albert increased overwhelmingly after the Queen’s death. Her dream of constitutional monarchies moved across the continent, brought peace, order and a stable political governance. However, in 20th century, this united vision was clashed with a brutal and prompt impulse for change. Queen Victoria’s crowned descendants were pitched, cousin against cousin, husband against wife and brother against sister.