princess brought up; her clothing as well as her food was of the
plainest, and habits of economy and regularity were impressed upon her
and stayed with her all her life. Her governess, Baroness Lehzen, was
German, as were all of her teachers until the time she was twelve years
old, and it is said that she spoke English with a German accent.

Of course Victoria's life was different from the lives of other
children, and this she must early have perceived. There are, however,
little stories of her childhood which show that she was really not so
different from ordinary children as some of her serious biographers
would have one think. She was very fond of dolls, and had, it is said,
one hundred and thirty-two of them who lived in a house of their own.
Even with these, however, she was not allowed to play just as other
children did, for her governess made use of them to teach her little
charge court etiquette. And indeed, some means of teaching the child
court etiquette was necessary, as her mother refused to allow her to
appear at the royal court and receive her lessons there at first hand.
The court of George IV was most disreputable, and the Duchess of Kent
wisely judged that it was no place for her little daughter. When William
IV came to the throne in 1830, Victoria's mother still refused to allow
the child to be much at court, for though the new king was in some ways
better than his predecessor had been, he was far from being a moral man.

When Victoria was twelve years old her mother felt that it was time she
should know of the high destiny to which she might be called, for there
now stood no one between her and the throne, William IV's children
having died in infancy. Accordingly, the governess placed in a book
which the princess was reading, a genealogical table, so that the
princess might come upon it as if by accident. Victoria examined it
gravely and then exclaimed, "Why I never saw this before!"

"It was not necessary that you should see it," replied the governess.

"I am nearer the throne than I supposed," said the child, and then, with
a seriousness beyond her years, she added, "It is a great
responsibility, but I will be good."

Kept as she was from the court world, Victoria was the subject of
intense interest and curiosity to the English people. England had always
been fortunate in her queens if not always in her kings, and it was felt
that if Victoria should come to the throne, England would be the bett