Bryn y Pys Archive Documents relating to the young Princess Victoria go on display at Kensington Palace.
We are delighted to help Dr Myles Campbell in his research into the early education received by Princess Victoria.
The documents include letters between The Duchess of Northumberland (Victoria’s governess during her teenage years and Victoria’s mother, (Victoria Duchess of Kent, who was a German Princess who married the Duke of Kent in 1818).
There is also a handwritten letter from Victoria herself on display.
The documents show Princess Victoria’s reading lists and lesson plans prepared by her governess who thought she needed a wider reading experience, as well as to speed up!
They also highlight Victoria’s mother’s progressive attitude to her education with some knowledge that she would be Queen one day. It is thought that Victoria was taken to see the wider world of work and lifestyle outside of Royal life.
Another bonus is that Dr Myles has both sides of the correspondence which is unusual.
The Duchess of Northumberland was Charlotte Clive, the daughter of Edward Clive 1st Earl of Powys and Henrietta Antonia Clive (nee Herbert)
She was born in Florence in 1787 and at the age of 10 she went to India where her father was Governor of Madras. After her marriage to Hugh Percy, the Duke of Northumberland she became Vicereine of Ireland living at Dublin Castle. It was from here that she was invited to become Governess to Princess Victoria, the future Queen.
What is the connection to Bryn y Pys?
The Duchess of Northumberland, ( Charlotte Florentia Percy), left her papers in the charge of her great-niece, Henrietta Margaret Williams, possibly because they bore no children themselves. Which is why they came to be lodged with The Bryn y Pys archive.
Henrietta Margaret became Edmund Peel’s second wife in 1866. (His first wife Anna Maria had died in 1860 and this was the reason the Peel Chapel Memorial was built).
The collection can be visited at Kensington Palace’ Victoria Rooms for at least the next three years whilst more research is being done into this very important period in History.
