Lady Augusta & Queen Victoria

This week I received both books that I managed to track down that contain the personal letters of my cousin, Lady Augusta Stanley (nee Bruce). Lady Augusta was in the employ of the Royal household during Queen Victoria's rule and became a close friend and confident of the Duchess of Kent (the Queen's mother), HRH Queen Victoria as well as Prince Albert and their children.

These books, which date back to the 1920's, were published by another cousin of mine, and the nephew of Augusta, Albert Baillie, who was the Dean of Windsor at the time of publication.

Although I have only partially read the letters, they do show Queen Victoria in a much more human light than anything I have previously seen or read. The popular conception that the Queen resented and ignored her mother after becoming queen is false. The other popular misconception that Queen Victoria was cold and distant with everyone, including her children, is also quite untrue. Queen Victoria was a strong lady, dedicated to her destiny and country, and cared much for her subjects, her family and a very close circle of friends.

I hope to start sharing some of these letters which show the more human side of Queen Victoria, as well as her relationship with my cousins in the very near future.