
Da pochi giorni (e per un periodo di tempo limitato) sono consultabili gratuitamente online le riproduzioni digitali di tutti i diari personali della Regina Vittoria, che regnò dal 1837 al 1901.
I diari, mai pubblicati finora nella loro interezza e accessibili su appuntamento presso i Royal Archives (castello di Windsor), saranno consultabili senza restrizioni fino a luglio 2012. Dopo quella data l’accesso rimarrà gratuito solo entro i confini del Regno Unito e, al di fuori di essi, per gli utenti di alcune biblioteche selezionate.
I diari, raccolti in volumi rilegati (141 in tutto) sono in parte scritti di pugno dalla Regina Vittoria (13 volumi) ma per la maggior parte sono stati trascritti dopo la sua morte dalla figlia più giovane, la Principessa Beatrice.
Rappresentano una preziosa testimonianza per gli storici dell’epoca vittoriana e di tutto l’Ottocento.
Queen Victoria was the longest serving British monarch, reigning as Queen from 1837 to 1901 and as Empress of India from 1877. In total 141 volumes of her journal survive, numbering 43,765 pages. They have never before been published in their entirety and have hitherto only been accessible to scholars by appointment at the Royal Archives. Edited excerpts have been published in print but they cover only a fraction of the whole.
As well as detailing household and family matters, the journals reflect affairs of state, describe meetings with statesmen and other eminent figures, and comment on the literature of the day. They represent a valuable primary source for scholars of nineteenth century British political and social history and for those working on gender and autobiographical writing.
These diaries cover the period from Queen Victoria’s childhood days to her Accession to the Throne, marriage to Prince Albert, and later, her Golden and Diamond Jubilees.
Thirteen volumes in Victoria’s own hand survive, and the majority of the remaining volumes were transcribed after Queen Victoria’s death by her youngest daughter, Princess Beatrice, on her mother’s instructions.
For a limited time, this online collection is being made available for free to users around the world.
From July 2012 onwards it will remain freely available in perpetuity to all users within the United Kingdom as well as some specific libraries elsewhere.
URL: <http://www.queenvictoriasjournals.org/home.do>
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[via Archivalia]