05/20/2024
ON BEING A QUEEN
It’s Victoria Day in Canada. Queen Victoria restored the reputation of a monarchy tarnished by the extravagance of her royal uncles. She also shaped a new role for the Royal Family, reconnecting it with the public through civic duties. At just 4ft 11in tall, Victoria was a towering presence as a symbol of her Empire. She was the epitome of Shakespeare’s quote, “Though she be but little, she is fierce.”
When Victoria took the throne at age 18, few would ever have guessed that the inexperienced, diminutive royal would rule for as long as she did – 63 years and 216 days, to be exact. She remained Britain’s longest-reigning monarch before her great-great-granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II, broke her record with a reign of 70 years and 214 days.
Here are some of her most famous quotes:
• We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat. They do not exist.
• I am a ruler, a mother, and a wife – I can balance it all.
• The important thing is not what they think of me, but what I think of them.
• Everybody grows but me.
• Great events make me quiet and calm; it is only trifles that irritate my nerves.
And here’s a quote from yet another queen: “A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.”- Oprah Winfrey
And lastly, perhaps my favorite quote on being a queen. I wish we could all think of ourselves this way. “She is queen. Her soul is royalty.” – Adrian Michael
My dentist told me I needed a crown. I was like, “I know, right?”
Happy Victoria Day.
Just saying . . .
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