A History of Britain 13. Victoria and her Sisters (4 of 29)

A History of Britain

This one, for August 1832, reads: "Very, very, very" - underlined - "terribly" - underlined - "naughty".
But could Christian betterment, the driving force of her generation, be taken from self improvement to bettering the life of her people?
That was the question.
On her first excursion in England's heart of industrial darkness, the teenage princess would see what she was up against.
Near Birmingham, she travelled through the landscape of a British inferno - sooty and sulphurous.
The men, women, children, country and houses are all black.
The country is very desolate everywhere.
There are coals about and the grass is quite blasted and black.

I just now see an extraordinary building flaming with fire, smoking and burning coal heaps intermingled with wretched huts and carts and little ragged children.
But the view from the coach was the closest Victoria got to the bleak reality of smokestack Britain.
In any case, there was something else on her mind - her upcoming date with history.
All those tombs, crowns and thrones, was she ready?