Queen Victoria as a Writer
Joanna Richardson describes how Queen Victoria wrote as she certainly must have talked - with common sense, some simplicity, much shrewdness, and occasional indiscretions.
Just over a century ago, in 1868, a small book, bound in green, was published by Messrs. Smith, Elder.
It was the work of Queen Victoria: Leaves from the Journal of our Life in the Highlands, from 1848 to 1861.
Sir Arthur Helps, who edited the book for publication, explained how it had come to be published:
During one of the Editor’s official visits to Balmoral, her Majesty very kindly allowed him to see several extracts from her journal, relating to excursions in the Highlands of Scotland.
He was much interested by them; and expressed the interest which he felt.
It then occurred to her Majesty that these extracts, referring, as they did, to some of the happiest hours of her life, might be made into a book, to be printed privately, for presentation to members of the Royal Family and her Majesty’s intimate friends...
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