At the Play

Abstract

However much it served the financial interests of actor-managers, Victoria’s public theatre-going gave her ‘loving subjects’ an unparalleled opportunity to see their sovereign and share her taste for popular amusement. The opportunity lasted nearly a quarter of a century. From her accession in 1837 to the death of Prince Albert in 1861 the Queen was most visible when she was ‘at the play’. Indeed, it was precisely because she was so freely – so dangerously – accessible that Prince Albert wanted all her theatrical visits to be formally ‘in state’. Victoria did not share her husband’s caution, however, and continued to appear at London theatres both in private and ‘in state’. After her marriage, and as her family grew, Victoria visited public theatres only between February and June, when she resided principally at Buckingham Palace. (The royal family spent the Christmas holidays at Windsor and summers at Balmoral.) When in London, the Queen often attended two or three performances a week, a rate of theatre-going worthy of a professional drama critic.

The Queen visited [Drury Lane] last week, on which occasion, I perceive, you raised your prices. Very right. Yours is the proper kind of loyalty, and therefore you make money from it. Besides, it must be so gratifying to Her Majesty to learn that she is made a show of – that royalty is exhibited at so much a head to its loving subjects &

– An open letter to Alfred Bunn, manager of Drury Lane, Punch (1845)