Education of the Royal Children

A collection of archival material relating to the education of the nine children of Prince Albert (1819-61) and Queen Victoria (1819-1901).

This selection contains a large volume of correspondence relating to appointments in the Royal nursery, illustrating Prince Albert and Queen Victoria’s concern to find suitable individuals for these roles. Several letters are exchanged during the course of appointing governesses, Lady Sarah Lyttelton (1787-1870) and Lady Caroline Barrington (1799-1875) as well as the tutors of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (1841-1910). There are also a number of letters from Lady Caroline Barrington to Queen Victoria between 1851 and 1863, which provide a continuous report on the progress and activities of the Royal children.

Found also are a number of letters and memoranda discussing differing education systems and teaching methods, reflecting the importance Prince Albert attached to education. In particular, a number of documents reflect the consideration given to the education of the Prince of Wales. Included are reports of his progress and letters to Prince Albert from the Prince of Wales’s tutor, Frederick Gibbs (1821-98) during his travels with the Prince through the West of England in 1856. The collection also contains timetables of lessons and progress reports for many of the Royal children, as well as phrenological reports, providing an insight into the value attached to this branch of science at the time.