In her quote, Queen Victoria compared herself to common women so that the latter had an opportunity to lead a private life while all aspects of her life were a matter of public interest. In particular, she complains: “Every lady in the country has a private home but myself. The palace is a public house into which everyone claims a right to peep, and whose domestic arrangements everyone claims a right to judge.” This implied that the queen wanted to feel a sense of security and privacy so that her personal affairs or activities would stay within the walls of her house. This desire seems indeed understandable, and one can agree that such a wish is relatable. For that reason, the author of this paper agrees with the queen’s premise but partly.
The life and activities of the queen were always open to the people since she was a public figure and influenced the wellbeing of the population. From the very beginning, Victoria became the hope of the throne, and she was aware of this and understood this responsibility. By the time she ascended the throne, the United Kingdom was the prevailing constitutional monarchy in which the king had almost no political power. However, the queen tried to influence government policies and ministerial appointments. The queen surrounded herself with major diplomats and worked in dialogue with them.
Also, although Queen Victoria reigned but was not the actual head of the country, in terms of industries, England was developing rapidly due to her activities. By the principles of the British monarchy, the queen did not interfere with any political business, but she was trying to assist in those areas where her help was appreciated. One can make a logical assumption that comparing the queen with common women is not entirely appropriate, given the level of responsibility and her involvement in the development of the kingdom. No other woman could have the same level of influence on the nation as Queen Victoria.
Thus, it can be concluded that it is not possible to either agree or disagree with the queen’s premise. On the one hand, Queen Victoria’s desire to have a secluded private life is understandable; that is why it is clear why she would compare herself with common people. On the other hand, almost no experiences in her life could be juxtaposed to that of ordinary people, which allows stating that such a comparison is quite irrelevant.