Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
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DorotaBabilas
andlonelydespitematerialwealth.Furthermore,followingmanyneo-Victorian
characters,Victoriaisartisticallytalented,inherfreetimeshesketchesfrom
nature.Shealsolovesanimals-evenonthedayofthecoronationshegives
Dashabath.
TherelationshipwithAlbertisconsistentlypresentedasafulfillmentof
girlishdreamsoftruelove.AlbertisVictoria’ssoulmate,areliableselfless
friendreadytooffergoodadvice,anallyinherfamilytroubles,andaromantic
lover.Theircourtshipoffersanarrayofstereotypicalimagery;theydance,run
intherain,ridehorsestogether,kiss,andtheirintimatelifeisshowninthe
atmosphereofintensefeelings.Thisisinstarkcontrastwiththemachinations
oftheoldergeneration,especiallyUncleLeopoldwhogetsimpatientwiththeir
longengagementandshoutsatStockmarto“pushAlbertintoVictoria’sbed.”
Thetaminganddomesticationofthemonarchisnotdonebymeansof
violence,butratheraresultofaseriesofcoincidences.First,theQueengets
pregnant,whichmakesthePrincetrulyenthusiastic.Then,afteraquarrel-
VictoriaobjectstoAlbert’svoicinganinterestinpoliticalmattersinpublic
andshoutsthathe“treatedherlikeawoman”-bothspousesareoffended.When
theyrideinsilencethroughHydePark,somebodyfiresagunattheQueen.
AlbertsavesVictoria’slife,butisshotinthearm.Thiscompletelyunhistorical
wound(howevertheassassinationattemptdidreallytakeplace)wasadded
9
forpurelymelodramaticpurpose.ItmakesVictoriarealizethatshecouldhave
lostherbeloved.Shedulyrepentsinthepalacechapel,ferventlyprayingforhis
survival,andwhenhegetsbettersheordershisdesktobemovedclosetohers.
AlbertonceagainassertshisundyingloveforVictoria-butthepriceofthat
seemstobethelossofallauthoritybytheQueen.EvenLordMelbourneisaware
ofthat.HeapologisesforhisearlierbadadviceandsuggeststhattheQueen
reliesfromnowoninstatemattersonthejudgmentofherhusband.Inoneof
thelastscenes,AlbertbringsVictoriaababyandgreetsherwithwords“Good
morning,wife”-thesamewordshehadusedearlieraftertheirweddingnight.
TheYoungVictoriaconveysthemessagetotheviewers-andespeciallyto
theyoungwomenintheaudience-thattheVictoriandivisionofsphereswas
justified.RunningthecountryisclearlybeyondVictoria’scapability;shecommits
multipleerrorsbecauseofherinexperienceandtemperament.Herfemalerole
interfereswithherduties-itisstronglysuggestedthatherstubbornnessand
quarrelsometemperamentresultfrompregnancyandchildbirth,sothatitis
femalephysiologythatstandsinthewayofroyalpower.Afterall,thewaythe
filmpresentsit,femalesovereignpowerisnothingbutaveneerandthereal
rulingisdonebymen.Acompetentanddecisivehusbandservesinhisadvisory
9
PaulThomasMurphy.ShootingVictoria:Madness,MayhemandtheRebirthof
theBritishMonarchy.NewYorkandLondon2012,p.78-84.
