
France
Prince Albert travelled in Europe as a teenager, spending time in Italy and Switzerland, but the queen’s first chance to venture abroad came thanks to an invitation from the French king Louis-Philippe in September 1843. Victoria and Albert sailed across the English Channel to Normandy to stay with their host and his family at the Château d’Eu. The experience seemed like a ʻdreamʼ to Victoria, and an affectionate relationship developed between the two royal families, strengthened by further reciprocal visits.
But 1848 saw profound political upheaval in Europe, and Louis-Philippe’s abdication. The Crimean War in the mid-1850s made it necessary for Victoria and Albert to forge an alliance with Louis-Philippe’s successor, the Emperor Napoleon III. Despite initial reservations, the queen and prince came to admire the emperor. He and his wife visited Windsor in April 1855, and Victoria and Albert made a return state visit to Paris that August. According to Albert, Victoria greatly enjoyed their trip and ‘won the hearts of all by her endeavours to make herself agreeable to the people’.
Eugene-Louis Lami (1800-90)
Marie-Amélie, Queen of the French, greets Queen Victoria at Le Tréport
Eugene-Louis Lami (1800-90)
The arrival of Queen Victoria at the Château d'Eu
Joseph Nash (1809-78)
Queen Victoria driving out with Louis-Philippe from the Quadrangle, Windsor Castle
Louis Haghe (1806-85)
Queen Victoria investing Louis-Philippe with the Garter, 11 October 1844
George Housman Thomas (1824-68)
Napoleon III and Prince Albert in Boulogne
George Housman Thomas (1824-68)
The reception of the Emperor and Empress of the French at Windsor Castle, 16 April 1855
Eugène-Charles-François Guérard (1821-66)
Queen Victoria's entry into Paris, 18 August 1855
Jean-Baptiste-Fortuné de Fournier (1798-1864)
Queen Victoria's drawing room at Saint-Cloud
Eugene-Louis Lami (1800-90)
The supper in the Salle de Spectacle, Versailles, 25 August 1855
Max Berthelin (1811-77)
Illuminations at the Hôtel de Ville, 23 August 1855
Louis Français (1814-97)