While last year saw the 200th anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria – an event commemorated by everything from flowers at Kensington Palace to the recreation of her favourite dishes at Osborne House, her home on the Isle of Wight – last week marked a more sombre date: the 120th anniversary of her death.
Britain’s second-longest-serving monarch (surpassed only by the current one) died at Osborne House at the age of 81, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. Yet her legacy lives on – as does our fascination with her. Exhibitions such as the Victoria & Albert: Our Lives in Watercolour collection of paintings (featuring works such as Eugène-Louis Lami’s Marie-Amélie, Queen of the French, greets Queen Victoria at Le Tréport, below) remain popular, while ITV’s royal drama Victoria proved a huge hit.