A Chip Off Queen Victoria’s Block with John Vigar
Queen Victoria (1819-1901) is one of the best loved monarchs. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days, which was longer than those of any of her predecessors, constituted the Victorian era. The British Empire reached its peak during her rule. Almost within touching distance of our own time, her story is so familiar to us it seems unlikely that there is much new to discover. This ESU Happy Hour will uncover amazing and little-known aspects of Victoria’s family.
Victoria’s mother, the Duchess of Kent, had already been married and widowed before her wedding to a son of George III. From her first husband, she had a daughter, Feodora, who came to live in London when her mother remarried. At Kensington Palace she married the Prince of Hohenloe Langenberg.
Their son, and Queen Victoria’s nephew, was Prince Victor Gleichen. After distinguished service in the British Navy, Prince Victor took up a career as a sculptor, working from his apartments in St James’ Palace. Quickly becoming the Victorian sculptor of choice, his work is found in collections throughout Britain, and especially in the Royal Collection. Two of his children followed in their father’s footsteps. One daughter, Feodora, became an even more successful sculptor, exhibiting at the Royal Academy on more than a dozen occasions. Helena, an early suffragist who served on the Western Front during WWI, was an accomplished artist.
Our guest speaker, John Vigar, takes a close look at Prince Victor and tells the remarkable story of the Gleichen family of sculptors. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Charleston Branch. ESU Happy Hour programs are online, free, and open to all members and the public. Registration is required.
