Victoria Falls | |
---|---|
Mosi-oa-Tunya | |
Location on the Zambezi | |
Location | Livingstone, Zambia Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe |
Coordinates | 17°55′28″S25°51′24″E / 17.92444°S 25.85667°ECoordinates: 17°55′28″S25°51′24″E / 17.92444°S 25.85667°E |
Type | Waterfall |
Total height | 108 m (355 ft) (at center) |
Number of drops | 2 |
Watercourse | Zambezi River |
Average flow rate | 1088 m3/s (38,430 cu ft/s) |
Official name | Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls |
Type | Natural |
Criteria | vii, viii |
Designated | 1989 (13th session) |
Reference no. | 509 |
State Party | Zambia and Zimbabwe |
Region | Africa |
Victoria Falls (Lozi: Mosi-oa-Tunya, 'The Smoke that Thunders') is a waterfall in southern Africa on the Zambezi River at the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
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- 5History
- 5.2History since 1900
- 6Natural environment
Name origins[edit]
David Livingstone gazing upon the Falls, in bronze, from the Zambian shore
David Livingstone, the Scottish missionary and explorer, is believed to have been the first European to view Victoria Falls on 16 November 1855, from what is now known as Livingstone Island, one of two land masses in the middle of the river, immediately upstream from the falls near the Zambian shore.[1] Livingstone named his sighting in honour of Queen Victoria of Britain, but the indigenous Lozi language name, Mosi-oa-Tunya—'The Smoke That Thunders'—continues in common usage as well. The World Heritage List officially recognizes both names.[2] Livingstone also cites an older name, Seongo or Chongwe, which means 'The Place of the Rainbow' as a result of the constant spray.[3]
The nearby national park in Zambia is named Mosi-oa-Tunya, whereas the national park and town on the Zimbabwean shore are both named Victoria Falls.[4]
Size[edit]
Aerial View
Victoria Falls seen from Zimbabwe in July.
While it is neither the highest nor the widest waterfall in the world, Victoria Falls is classified as the largest, based on its combined width of 1,708 metres (5,604 ft)[5] and height of 108 metres (354 ft),[6] resulting in the world's largest sheet of falling water. Victoria Falls is roughly twice the height of North America's Niagara Falls and well over twice the width of its Horseshoe Falls. In height and width Victoria Falls is rivalled only by Argentina and Brazil's Iguazu Falls. See table for comparisons.[2]
For a considerable distance upstream from the falls, the Zambezi flows over a level sheet of basalt, in a shallow valley, bounded by low and distant sandstone hills. The river's course is dotted with numerous tree-covered islands, which increase in number as the river approaches the falls. There are no mountains, escarpments, or deep valleys; only a flat plateau extending hundreds of kilometres in all directions.
The falls are formed as the full width of the river plummets in a single vertical drop into a transverse chasm 1,708 metres (5,604 ft) wide, carved by its waters along a fracture zone in the basalt plateau. The depth of the chasm, called the First Gorge, varies from 80 metres (260 ft) at its western end to 108 metres (354 ft) in the centre. The only outlet to the First Gorge is a 110-metre (360 ft) wide gap about two-thirds of the way across the width of the falls from the western end. The whole volume of the river pours into the Victoria Falls gorges from this narrow cleft.[7]
There are two islands on the crest of the falls that are large enough to divide the curtain of water even at full flood: Boaruka Island (or Cataract Island) near the western bank, and Livingstone Island near the middle—the point from which Livingstone first viewed the falls. At less than full flood, additional islets divide the curtain of water into separate parallel streams. The main streams are named, in order from Zimbabwe (west) to Zambia (east): Devil's Cataract[7] (called Leaping Water by some), Main Falls, Rainbow Falls (the highest) and the Eastern Cataract.
The Zambezi river, upstream from the falls, experiences a rainy season from late November to early April, and a dry season the rest of the year. The river's annual flood season is February to May with a peak in April,[8] The spray from the falls typically rises to a height of over 400 metres (1,300 ft), and sometimes even twice as high, and is visible from up to 48 km (30 mi) away. At full moon, a 'moonbow' can be seen in the spray instead of the usual daylight rainbow. During the flood season, however, it is impossible to see the foot of the falls and most of its face, and the walks along the cliff opposite it are in a constant shower and shrouded in mist. Close to the edge of the cliff, spray shoots upward like inverted rain, especially at Zambia's Knife-Edge Bridge.[9]
As the dry season takes effect, the islets on the crest become wider and more numerous, and in September to January up to half of the rocky face of the falls may become dry and the bottom of the First Gorge can be seen along most of its length. At this time it becomes possible (though not necessarily safe) to walk across some stretches of the river at the crest. It is also possible to walk to the bottom of the First Gorge at the Zimbabwean side. The minimum flow, which occurs in November, is around a tenth of the April figure; this variation in flow is greater than that of other major falls, and causes Victoria Falls' annual average flow rate to be lower than might be expected based on the maximum flow.[9]
Gorges[edit]
First Gorge, from Zambian side
The entire volume of the Zambezi River pours through the First Gorge's 110 metres (360 ft) wide exit for a distance of about 150 metres (490 ft), then enters a zigzagging series of gorges designated by the order in which the river reaches them. Water entering the Second Gorge makes a sharp right turn and has carved out a deep pool there called the Boiling Pot. Reached via a steep footpath from the Zambian side, it is about 150 metres (500 ft) across. Its surface is smooth at low water, but at high water is marked by enormous, slow swirls and heavy boiling turbulence.[9] Objects and humans that are swept over the falls, including the occasional hippopotamus or crocodile, are frequently found swirling about here or washed up at the north-east end of the Second Gorge. This is where the bodies of Mrs Moss and Mr Orchard, mutilated by crocodiles, were found in 1910 after two canoes were capsized by a hippo at Long Island above the falls.[10]
Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwe side
The principal gorges are
- First Gorge: the one the river falls into at Victoria Falls
- Second Gorge: 250 metres (820 ft) south of falls, 2.15 kilometres (1.34 mi) long, spanned by the Victoria Falls Bridge
- Third Gorge: 600 metres (2,000 ft) south, 1.95 kilometres (1.21 mi) long, containing the Victoria Falls Power Station
- Fourth Gorge: 1.15 kilometres (0.71 mi) south, 2.25 kilometres (1.40 mi) long
- Fifth Gorge: 2.25 kilometres (1.40 mi) south, 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) long
- Songwe Gorge: 5.3 kilometres (3.3 mi) south, 3.3 kilometres (2.1 mi) long named after the small Songwe River coming from the north-east, and the deepest at 140 metres (460 ft), the level of the river in them varies by up to 20 metres (66 ft) between wet and dry seasons.[9]
Formation[edit]
Victoria Falls National Park marker
The Upper Zambezi River originally drained south through present day Botswana to join the Limpopo River.[11][12] A general uplift of the land between Zimbabwe and The Kalahari desert about 2 million years ago blocked this drainage route, and a large paleo lake known as Lake Makgadikgadi formed between the Kalahari and the Batoka Basaltic Plateau of Zimbabwe and Zambia. This lake was originally endorheic and had no natural outlet, Under wetter climate conditions about 20,000 years BP, it eventually overflowed and began to drain to the east cutting the Batoka Gorge through the basalt as it went.[13][14][15]
The recent geological history of Victoria Falls can be seen in the overall form of the Batoka Gorge, with its six individual gorges and eight past positions of the falls. The east-west oriented gorges imply structural control with alignment along joints of shatter zones, or faults with 50 metres (160 ft) of vertical displacement as is the case of the second and fifth gorges. Headward erosion along these structural lines of weakness would establish a new fall line and abandonment of the earlier line. North-south oriented joints control the south flowing sections of the river. One of these is the 'Boiling Pot', which links the First Gorge with the Second Gorge.[16]:147,149[9]
The falls may have already started cutting back the next major gorge, at the dip in one side of the 'Devil's Cataract', between the western river bank and Cataract Island. The lip in the current falls is lowest here and carries the greatest concentration of water at flood stage.[16]:149
Satellite image showing the broad Zambezi falling into the narrow cleft and subsequent series of zigzagging gorges (top of picture is north).
The sedimentary sequence overlying the basalt at the Zambezi River margins is called the Victoria Falls Formation, which consists of gravel, the Pipe sandstone, Kalahari Sands, and aeolian sand and alluvium. A 15–45 m scarp bounds the river about 5–6 km from the main channel, and a series of river terraces are evident between the scarp and the channel.[16]:144–145
Further geological history of the course of the Zambezi River is in the article of that name.
History[edit]
Pre-colonial history[edit]
Early Stone AgeAcheulean stone artifacts and Oldowan tools were excavated at archaeological sites around the falls, as well as Sangoan tools and Lupemban artifacts dating to the Middle Stone Age.[17]Early Iron Age pottery was excavated at a vlei site near Masuma Dam in the early 1960s.[18] Evidence for iron smelting was also found in a settlement dated to the late 1st millennium AD.[19]
The southern Tonga people known as the Batoka/Tokalea called the falls Shungu na mutitima. The Matabele, later arrivals, named them aManz' aThunqayo, and the Batswana and Makololo (whose language is used by the Lozi people) call them Mosi-o-Tunya. All these names mean essentially 'the smoke that thunders'.[20]
A map drawn by Nicolas de Fer in 1715 shows the fall clearly marked in the correct position. It also shows dotted lines denoting trade routes that David Livingstone followed 140 years later.[citation needed] A map from c. 1750 drawn by Jacques Nicolas Bellin for Abbé Antoine François Prevost d'Exiles marks the falls as 'cataractes' and notes a settlement to the north of the Zambezi as being friendly with the Portuguese at the time.[citation needed]
In November 1855, David Livingstone was the first European who saw the falls, when he traveled from the upper Zambezi to the mouth of the river between 1852 and 1856. The falls were well known to local tribes, and Voortrekker hunters may have known of them, as may the Arabs under a name equivalent to 'the end of the world'. Europeans were sceptical of their reports, perhaps thinking that the lack of mountains and valleys on the plateau made a large falls unlikely.[21][22]
Livingstone had been told about the falls before he reached them from upriver and was paddled across to a small island that now bears the name Livingstone Island in Zambia. Livingstone had previously been impressed by the Ngonye Falls further upstream, but found the new falls much more impressive, and gave them their English name in honour of Queen Victoria. He wrote of the falls, 'No one can imagine the beauty of the view from anything witnessed in England. It had never been seen before by European eyes; but scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight.'[9]
In 1860, Livingstone returned to the area and made a detailed study of the falls with John Kirk. Other early European visitors included Portuguese explorer Serpa Pinto, Czech explorer Emil Holub, who made the first detailed plan of the falls and its surroundings in 1875 (published in 1880),[23] and British artist Thomas Baines, who executed some of the earliest paintings of the falls. Until the area was opened up by the building of the railway in 1905, though, the falls were seldom visited by other Europeans. Some writers believe that the Portuguese priest Gonçalo da Silveira was the first European to catch sight of the falls back in the sixteenth century.[24][25]
History since 1900[edit]
Victoria Falls' Second Gorge (with bridge) and Third Gorge (right). The peninsular cliffs are in Zambia, the outer cliffs in Zimbabwe. The cliffs are composed of Batoka Formationbasalt flows. The breaks in slope with vegetation are brecciatedamygdaliodal basalt zones separating 6 successive and massive lava flows with distinct vertical jointing.[16][3]:391
Victoria Falls Bridge initiates tourism[edit]
European settlement of the Victoria Falls area started around 1900 in response to the desire of Cecil Rhodes' British South Africa Company for mineral rights and imperial rule north of the Zambezi, and the exploitation of other natural resources such as timber forests north-east of the falls, and ivory and animal skins. Before 1905, the river was crossed above the falls at the Old Drift, by dugout canoe or a barge towed across with a steel cable.[10] Rhodes' vision of a Cape-Cairo railway drove plans for the first bridge across the Zambezi. He insisted it be built where the spray from the falls would fall on passing trains, so the site at the Second Gorge was chosen. See the main article Victoria Falls Bridge for details.[9] From 1905 the railway offered accessible travel from as far as the Cape in the south and from 1909, as far as the Belgian Congo in the north. In 1904 the Victoria Falls Hotel was opened to accommodate visitors arriving on the new railway. The falls became an increasingly popular attraction during British colonial rule of Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) and Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), with the town of Victoria Falls becoming the main tourist centre.
During independence movements[edit]
In 1964, Northern Rhodesia became the independent state of Zambia. The following year, Rhodesiaunilaterally declared independence. This was not recognized by Zambia, the United Kingdom nor the vast majority of states and led to United Nations-mandated sanctions. In response to the emerging crisis, in 1966 Zambia restricted or stopped border crossings; it did not re-open the border completely until 1980. Guerrilla warfare arose on the southern side of the Zambezi from 1972: the Rhodesian Bush War. Visitor numbers began to drop, particularly on the Rhodesian side. The war affected Zambia through military incursions, causing the latter to impose security measures including the stationing of soldiers to restrict access to the gorges and some parts of the falls.
Zimbabwe's internationally recognised independence in 1980 brought comparative peace, and the 1980s witnessed renewed levels of tourism and the development of the region as a centre for adventure sports. Activities that gained popularity in the area include whitewater rafting in the gorges, bungee jumping from the bridge, game fishing, horse riding, kayaking, and flights over the falls.[26]
Tourism in recent years[edit]
The naturally formed 'Devil's Pool', where tourists swim despite a risk of plunging over the edge
By the end of the 1990s almost 400,000 people were visiting the falls annually, and this was expected to rise to over a million in the next decade. Unlike the game parks, Victoria Falls has more Zimbabwean and Zambian visitors than international tourists; the attraction is accessible by bus and train, and is therefore comparatively inexpensive to reach.
Both countries permit tourists to make day trips across the border to view the falls from both viewpoints. Visitors with single-entry visas are required to purchase a visa each time they cross the border; visas can be obtained at both border posts. Costs vary from US$50–$80 (as of January 2017). Visa regulations change frequently; visitors are advised to check the rules currently in effect in both countries before crossing the border in either direction. Additionally, foreign tourists may purchase a KAZA visa for US$50 that will permit visitors to travel between Zambia and Zimbabwe for up to 30 days as long as they remain within the covered countries.
A famous feature is the naturally formed 'Armchair' (now sometimes called 'Devil's Pool'), near the edge of the falls on Livingstone Island on the Zambian side. When the river flow is at a certain level, usually between September and December, a rock barrier forms an eddy with minimal current, allowing adventurous swimmers to splash around in relative safety a few feet from the point where the water cascades over the falls.[27] Occasional deaths have been reported when people have slipped over the rock barrier.[28]
The numbers of visitors to the Zimbabwean side of the falls has historically been much higher than the number visiting the Zambia side, due to the greater development of the visitor facilities there. However, the number of tourists visiting Zimbabwe began to decline in the early 2000s as political tensions between supporters and opponents of president Robert Mugabe increased. In 2006, hotel occupancy on the Zimbabwean side hovered at around 30%, while the Zambian side was at near-capacity, with rates in top hotels reaching US$630 per night.[29][30] The rapid development has prompted the United Nations to consider revoking the Falls' status as a World Heritage Site.[31] In addition, problems of waste disposal and a lack of effective management of the falls' environment are a concern.[32]
Natural environment[edit]
Two white rhinos at Mosi-oa-Tunya national park in May 2005. They are not indigenous, but were imported from South Africa.
National parks[edit]
The two national parks at the falls are relatively small – Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park is 66 square kilometres (25 sq mi) and Victoria Falls National Park is 23 square kilometres (8.9 sq mi). However, next to the latter on the southern bank is the Zambezi National Park, extending 40 kilometres (25 mi) west along the river.[9] Animals can move between the two Zimbabwean parks and can also reach Matetsi Safari Area, Kazuma Pan National Park and Hwange National Park to the south.[26]
On the Zambian side, fences and the outskirts of Livingstone tend to confine most animals to the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park. In addition fences put up by lodges in response to crime restrict animal movement.[32]
In 2004 a separate group of police called the Tourism Police was started. They are commonly seen around the main tourist areas, and can be identified by their uniforms with yellow reflective bibs.[33]
Vegetation[edit]
Mopane woodland savannah predominates in the area, with smaller areas of miombo and Rhodesian teak woodland and scrubland savannah. Riverine forest with palm trees lines the banks and islands above the falls. The most notable aspect of the area's vegetation though is the rainforest nurtured by the spray from the falls, containing plants rare for the area such as pod mahogany, ebony, ivory palm, wild date palm, batoko plum[34] and a number of creepers and lianas.[26] Vegetation has suffered in recent droughts, and so have the animals that depend on it, particularly antelope.
Wildlife[edit]
The national parks contain abundant wildlife including sizable populations of elephant, Cape buffalo, giraffe, Grant's zebra, and a variety of antelope. lions, African leopards and South African cheetahs are only occasionally seen. Vervet monkeys and baboons are common. The river above the falls contains large populations of hippopotamus and crocodile. African bush elephants cross the river in the dry season at particular crossing points.[26]
Klipspringers, honey badgers, lizards and clawless otters can be glimpsed in the gorges, but they are mainly known for 35 species of raptors. The Taita falcon, black eagle, peregrine falcon and augur buzzard breed there. Above the falls, herons, fish eagles and numerous kinds of waterfowl are common.[26]
Fish[edit]
The river is home to 39 species of fish below the falls and 84 species above it. This illustrates the effectiveness of the falls as a dividing barrier between the upper and lower Zambezi.[26]
Statistics[edit]
'The Smoke that Thunders', rainy season, 1972 ... and dry season, September 2003 | ||||||
Size and flow rate of Victoria Falls with Niagara and Iguazu for comparison | ||||||
Parameters | Victoria Falls | Niagara Falls | Iguazu Falls | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Height in meters and feet:[2] | 108 m | 360 ft | 51 m | 167 ft | 64–82 m | 210–269 ft |
Width in meters and feet:[2] | 1,708 m | 5,604 ft | 1,203 m | 3,947 ft | 2,700 m | 8,858 ft |
Flow rate units (vol/s): | m3/s | cu ft/s | m3/s | cu ft/s | m3/s | cu ft/s |
Mean annual flow rate:[2] | 1,088 | 38,430 | 2,407 | 85,000 | 1,746 | 61,600 |
Mean monthly flow – max.:[8] | 3,000 | 105,944 | ||||
Mean monthly flow – min.:[8] | 300 | 10,594 | ||||
Mean monthly flow – 10 yr. max.:[8] | 6,000 | 211,888 | ||||
Highest recorded flow:[2] | 12,800 | 452,000 | 6,800 | 240,000 | 45,700 | 1,614,000 |
Notes: See references for explanation of measurements. For water, cubic metres per second = tonnes per second. Half the water approaching Niagara is diverted for hydroelectric power. Iguazu has two drops; height given for biggest drop and total height. 10 falls have greater or equal flow rates, but are not as high as Iguazu and Victoria Falls.[8] |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^'Livingstone Tourism Association, Victoria Falls, Zambia'. livingstonetourism.com. Livingstone, Zambia. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
- ^ abcdef'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 14 July 2007. Retrieved 11 March 2007.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link) CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
- ^ abWellington, John H. (1955). Southern Africa: A Geographical Study. Vol. 1. Cambridge: University Press. p. 392.
- ^'Medium Term Plan (MTP): January 2010 – December 2015'(PDF). Government of Zimbabwe. Archived from the original(PDF) on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2013.
- ^Southern Africa Places (2009). Victoria Falls. Retrieved on 18 May 2009 from Victoria Falls – South Africa Places
- ^'Victoria Falls'. World Digital Library. 1890–1925. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
- ^ abScheffel, Richard L.; Wernet, Susan J., eds. (1980). Natural Wonders of the World. United States of America: Reader's Digest Association, Inc. pp. 402–403. ISBN0-89577-087-3.
- ^ abcdeWorld Commission on Dams website:Archived 1 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine 'Case Study – Kariba Dam-Zambezi River Basin' Annex 13 & 14 Victoria Falls Mean Monthly Flows. Website accessed 1 March 2007. This website gives mean monthly flow rates in cubic metres per second (i.e., the total volume of water passing in each calendar month divided by the number of seconds in the month), the standard measure used in hydrology to indicate seasonal variation in flow. A figure of around 9,000 m3/s (318,000 cu ft) is quoted by many websites for Victoria Falls but this is the mean maximum instantaneous rate, which is only achieved for a few days per year. The figure of 536 million m3/minute (18.9 billion cu ft/min) on some websites (e.g. ZNTB) is an error for 536 million litres/minute (equivalent to 9100 m3/s or 142 million U.S. gallons/min). The '10-year maximum' is the mean of the maximum monthly rate returned in a ten-year period.
- ^ abcdefghSpectrum Guide to Zambia. Nairobi: Camerapix Publishers International. 1996. ISBN978-1-86872-012-5 – via Struik Publishers.
- ^ abHunt, B. L. (1959). 'Kalomo to Livingstone in 1907'. The Northern Rhodesia Journal. IV (1): 16.
Mr Moss and Mrs Orchard and the eight Lozi paddlers managed to swim to the island, one of the paddlers saving the Orchards' year-old baby
- ^Moore, A.E., Cotterill, F. P. D., Broderick, T., & Plowes, D. (2009). 'Landscape evolution in Zimbabwe from the Permian to present, with implications for kimberlite prospecting'(PDF). South African Journal of Geology. Geological Society of South Africa. 112: 82. doi:10.2113/gssajg.112.1.65.CS1 maint: Uses authors parameter (link)
- ^Spaliviero, M., De Dapper, M., Maló, S. (2014). 'Flood analysis of the Limpopo River basin through past evolution reconstruction and a geomorphological approach'. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences. 14: 2027–2039. doi:10.5194/nhess-14-2027-2014.CS1 maint: Uses authors parameter (link)
- ^'Makgadikgadi Salt Pans'. earthobservatory.nasa.gov. 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
- ^'Geological history - Botswana Travel Guide'. www.botswana-travel-guide.com. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
- ^Moore, Andy (2016). Viljoen, Richard; Anhaeusser, Carl; Viljoen, Morris (eds.). The Victoria Falls and gorges, in Africa's Top Geological Sites. Cape Town: Struik Nature. pp. 16–20. ISBN9781775844488.
- ^ abcdMoore, Andy; Cotterill, Fenton (2010). '15'. In Migon, Piotr (ed.). Vicotria Falls: Mosi-oa-Tunya - The Smoke That Thunders, in Geomorphological Landscapes of the World. Springer. p. 147,149. ISBN9789048130542.
- ^Clark, J. D. (1950). 'Archaeology'. The Stone Age cultures of Northern Rhodesia, with particular Reference to the Cultural and Climatic Succession in the Upper Zambezi Valley and its Tributaries. Cape Town: South African Archaeological Society. pp. 31–131.
- ^Robinson, K. R. (1966). 'The Iron Age site in Kapula Vlei, near the Masuma Dam, Wankie Game Reserve, Rhodesia'. Arnoldia, Rhodesia (239): 1–7.
- ^Vogel, J. O. (1975). 'Kabondo Kumbo and the Early Iron Age in Victoria Falls region'. _Journal of the British Institute in Eastern Africa. 10 (1): 49–75.
- ^The Northern Rhodesia Journal online: 'Native Name of Victoria Falls', Vol I No 6 p. 68 (1952). Accessed 28 February 2007.
- ^The Northern Rhodesia Journal online: 'Native Name of Victoria Falls', Vol I No 4 pp. 80–82 (1951). Accessed 28 February 2007.
- ^Agter die Magalies': 'Agter Die Magalies' B.K. de Beer, pp. 43–44 (1975) Postma Publications. Accessed 1 September 2007.
- ^The international service of Czech Radio online: 'Statue of explorer Emil Holub unveiled in Livingstone, Zambia' accessed 28 February 2007.
- ^Eric Anderson Walker. The Cambridge History of the British Empire, volume 2. CUP Archive, 1963. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
- ^Lawrence George Green. There's a Secret Hid Away. H. Timmins, 1956; 244 p. ISBN9780869782071. Retrieved 4 October 2015
- ^ abcdefUnited Nations Environment Programme: Protected Areas and World Heritage World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Website accessed 1 March 2007.
- ^'Is this the ultimate (and most dangerous) infinity pool in the world?'. The Daily Mail. 23 April 2008. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
- ^'Tour guide in Vic Falls plunge'. New Zimbabwe. 28 September 2009. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
- ^'At African Waterfall, Visitors Confront A Tale of Two Cities.' Trofimov, Y. The Wall Street Journal. 29 December 2006.
- ^Victoria Falls Journal; The Best of Times, and the Worst, for Two Tourist Towns
- ^Victoria Falls 'at risk', UN warns The Independent, 7 January 2007
- ^ abS Hanyona: 'Zambia's Ecotourism Venture Clouded by Ecotroubles.' 5 March 2002. ENS website accessed 9 March 2007.
- ^http://www.victoriafalls-guide.net/victoria-falls-tourism-police-december-2011.html.
- ^'Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, October 2017'. Independent Travellers. independent-travellers.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Victoria Falls. |
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Victoria Falls. |
- A useful list of further reading is included on the UNEP-WCMC website's page for Mosi-oa-Tunya.
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Victoria_Falls&oldid=901290021'
(Redirected from Victoria (UK TV series))
Victoria | |
---|---|
Genre | Drama |
Created by | Daisy Goodwin |
Written by | |
Starring |
|
Theme music composer | Martin Phipps |
Composer(s) | Ruth Barrett |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of series | 3 |
No. of episodes | 25 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) |
|
Producer(s) | |
Production location(s) | United Kingdom |
Running time | 46–89 minutes |
Production company(s) | Mammoth Screen Masterpiece |
Distributor | ITV Studios |
Release | |
Original network | ITV |
Picture format | |
Audio format | Stereo |
Original release | 28 August 2016 – present |
External links | |
Website |
Victoria is a British television drama series created and principally written by Daisy Goodwin, starring Jenna Coleman as Queen Victoria. The series premiered in the United Kingdom on ITV on 28 August 2016 with eight episodes, and in the United States on PBS on 15 January 2017; PBS supported its production as part of the Masterpiece anthology. A second series was broadcast on ITV in the fall of 2017, including a Christmas special that aired that December; PBS broadcast followed starting in January 2018, with the special belatedly airing in March.
In December 2017, Victoria was renewed for an eight-episode third series, which premiered on PBS on 13 January 2019, and on ITV on 24 March 2019.
- 2Cast
- 2.1Main
- 2.2Recurring
- 3Episodes
- 4Production
- 5Release
- 6Reception
Premise[edit]
The first season of the series depicts the first few years of the reign of Queen Victoria (portrayed by Jenna Coleman), from her accession to the throne at the age of eighteen, to her intense friendship and infatuation with Lord Melbourne (Rufus Sewell), to her courtship and early marriage to Prince Albert (Tom Hughes) and finally to the birth of their first child, Victoria. The second season follows Victoria's struggles to balance her role as Queen with her duties to her husband and children, various dramas within the English and German branches of the royal family, international relations with France, and such crises as the Anglo-Afghan War and the Great Famine in Ireland. At the beginning of the third season, Victoria and Albert have six children and are approaching their 30s while navigating difficulties in their marriage; as the season progresses, these tensions ebb and flow. Subplots in the third season include Albert's ongoing efforts to find his place, culminating in The Great Exhibition of 1851, and his efforts to mould his eldest son, the future Edward VII, into a king; Victoria's political relationship with the charismatic Lord Palmerston; the sudden arrival of Victoria's estranged sister, Feodora, at the palace; and a forbidden romance between one of the Queen's ladies and a footman.
Cast[edit]
Main[edit]
- Jenna Coleman as Queen Victoria[1]
- Tom Hughes as Prince Albert[2]
- Peter Bowles as the Duke of Wellington (series 1–3)
- Catherine Flemming as the Duchess of Kent[1] (series 1–2)
- Daniela Holtz as Baroness Lehzen[2] (series 1–2)
- Nell Hudson as Nancy Skerrett[3] (series 1–3)
- Ferdinand Kingsley as Mr Francatelli[4] (series 1–3)
- Tommy Knight as Archibald Brodie[5]
- Nigel Lindsay as Sir Robert Peel[2] (series 1–2)
- Eve Myles as Mrs Jenkins[6] (series 1)
- David Oakes as Prince Ernest (series 1–2)
- Paul Rhys as Sir John Conroy[1] (series 1)
- Adrian Schiller as Mr Penge[3]
- Peter Firth as King Ernest Augustus[1] (series 1–2)
- Alex Jennings as King Leopold
- Rufus Sewell as Lord Melbourne[1] (series 1–2)
- Bebe Cave as Wilhelmina Coke (series 2)
- Margaret Clunie as Harriet, Duchess of Sutherland (recurring series 1, main series 2)
- Tilly Steele as Miss Cleary (series 2)
- Leo Suter as Mr Drummond (series 2)
- Jordan Waller as Lord Alfred Paget (recurring series 1, main series 2–present)
- Anna Wilson-Jones as Lady Emma Portman (recurring series 1, main series 2–present)
- Diana Rigg as the Duchess of Buccleuch (series 2)
- Nicholas Audsley as Charles, Duke of Monmouth (series 3)
- Sabrina Bartlett as Abigail Turner (series 3)
- David Burnett as Joseph Weld (series 3)
- Kate Fleetwood as Princess Feodora (series 3)
- Bruno Wolkowitch (featured series 2) and Vincent Regan (main series 3) as King Louis Philippe
- Lily Travers as Sophie, Duchess of Monmouth (series 3)
- John Sessions as Lord John Russell (series 3)
- Laurence Fox as Lord Palmerston (series 3)
Featured[edit]
The below actors are credited in the opening titles of single episodes in which they play a significant role.
- Martin Compston as Dr Traill (series 2)
- Denis Lawson as the Duke of Atholl (series 2)
- Sam Swainsbury as Dr John Snow (series 3)
- Edwin Thomas as Mr Caine (series 3)
Recurring[edit]
- Peter Ivatts as the William Howley, the Archbishop of Canterbury
- Tom Price as the Duke of Sutherland (series 1–2)
- Robin Soans as Sir James Clark (series 1–2)
- Samantha Colley as Eliza Skerrett (series 1–2)
- Andrew Bicknell as the Duke of Coburg (series 1–2)
- Hallie Woodhall (series 2) and Louisa Bay (series 3) as Princess Vicky
- Mac Jackson (series 2) and Laurie Shepherd (series 3) as Prince Bertie
- John Tueart as the Speaker of the House (series 2–3)
Series 1[edit]
| Series 2[edit]
| Series 3[edit]
|
Episodes[edit]
Series overview[edit]
Series | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | ||||
1 | 8 | 28 August 2016 | 9 October 2016 | ||
2 | 8 (+1) | 27 August 2017 | 15 October 2017 25 December 2017 (special) | ||
3[a] | 8 | 24 March 2019 | 12 May 2019 |
Series 1 (2016)[edit]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [7] | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | 'Doll 123' | Tom Vaughan | Daisy Goodwin | 28 August 2016 | 8.00 | |
Eighteen year old Alexandrina Victoria ascends to the throne after the death of her paternal uncle, King William IV. She asserts her independence by standing up to the suffocating influence of her mother and the abusive, domineering Sir John Conroy, who reared her under the strict Kensington System. Victoria, fears that her mother is having an affair with Conroy, creates a scandal involving her mother's lady-in-waiting, Lady Flora Hastings, by spreading the rumour that Lady Flora is pregnant with Sir John's child. Lady Flora is forced to undergo a medical examination, which reveals she is a virgin, but with a growing abdominal tumour that will prove fatal. The public is outraged when they learn of the humiliation that Lady Flora had suffered. Victoria feels her reign is tarnished, but is encouraged by the prime minister, Lord Melbourne, to stand tall and face the public. | |||||||
2 | 2 | 'Ladies in Waiting' | Tom Vaughan | Daisy Goodwin | 29 August 2016 | 7.37 | |
The Whig Prime Minister Lord Melbourne announces he must resign, saying he lacks support in parliament. Victoria asks the Duke of Wellington to form a new government but he declines, saying he is too old. He suggests she instead invite Tory leader Sir Robert Peel, which she does reluctantly. However, Peel agrees only on the condition that she dismiss some of her Ladies of the Bedchamber, as four are married to Whig ministers, and replace them with the wives of Tories, as is customary. The Queen refuses, as she considers them her intimate friends and not political pawns. This leads to the Bedchamber crisis. Melbourne insists he cannot undermine the British constitution by governing at the monarch's whim, but he eventually gives in and stays on as Prime Minister. Sir John, Victoria’s mother, and her paternal uncle the Duke of Cumberland, scheme to instal a regency to limit Victoria's power by making people believe she has inherited the madness of her grandfather, King George III. This plan backfires; her uncle is forced to abandon his hope to be King by proxy and Victoria's resentment of Conroy deepens. | |||||||
3 | 3 | 'Brocket Hall' | Tom Vaughan | Daisy Goodwin | 4 September 2016 | 7.75 | |
Sir John and Victoria's mother want her to marry, believing she is too independent and needs a man to control her. Victoria's maternal uncle, King Leopold of Belgium, arrives to pressure her to marry his nephew and her cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Although she finds him handsome, Victoria has no interest in the serious and reserved Albert. Leopold tries to get Lord Melbourne to support the scheme; Melbourne believes there is no hurry to push her into a marriage with the wrong person. Victoria, believing she is in love with Melbourne, pursues him, but he gently rebuffs her. Disgusted with the scheming of Sir John, Victoria offers him a baronetcy and pension to leave court, devastating her mother, who is so dependent on him that she has long overlooked his embezzlement. Following the Newport Rising, Victoria takes pity on the leaders and commutes their death sentences to exile in Australia. | |||||||
4 | 4 | 'The Clockwork Prince' | Sandra Goldbacher | Daisy Goodwin | 11 September 2016 | 7.62 | |
Albert visits Victoria. They are mutually aloof and resentful for being pushed upon each other. Some at court feel Albert, as a younger son and prince of a minor duchy, is inferior to her. As they spend time together, an attraction slowly grows. Albert, however, challenges Victoria abOut Lord Melbourne's influence over her and his sheltering her from reality. Following an argument, Albert prepares to leave, believing he has lost her favour. Victoria has come to terms with her love for Albert, but hesitates to propose to him, as she is unsure of his response. After confiding her worries to Leopold and being given encouragement, Victoria proposes and Albert eagerly accepts. | |||||||
5 | 5 | 'An Ordinary Woman' | Sandra Goldbacher | Daisy Goodwin | 18 September 2016 | 7.65 | |
When Victoria announces her engagement, the Tory parliament reacts with hostility to the idea of a German consort, especially one who would be given a British title and large annual allowance. Additionally, the Duke of Wellington calls attention to the certainty that Albert is not a Catholic, which would preclude Victoria from marrying him without abdicating her crown. Though unable to give him a royal title such as Duke or King, Victoria makes Albert a Knight of the Garter and gives him a small allowance. Albert is offended, feeling he will be without position or independence, while Victoria worries that the allowance would enable him to keep a mistress, as did her Uncle Leopold. They reassure each other and, on 10 February 1840, they are married. | |||||||
6 | 6 | 'The Queen's Husband' | Olly Blackburn | Daisy Goodwin | 25 September 2016 | 7.65 | |
Victoria and Albert are happily married. However, Victoria fears she will die in childbirth like her cousin and aunt Princess Charlotte, whose death led to Victoria inheriting the crown. Her lady's maid gives her useless advice to avoid pregnancy. Victoria curries favour with her paternal uncle, the Duke of Sussex, who is unable to present his wife at court because their morganatic marriage is in violation of the Royal Marriages Act 1772. Although his wife is the daughter of an earl, she is not of royal birth. Victoria uses her discretion to make her the Duchess of Inverness and welcomes her to court. An abolitionist group asks Victoria to open its London meeting, held in June 1840. She says she will publicly support the cause, but is unable to open it because of her position. Albert instead volunteers to give an address against slavery, a subject he feels strongly about. His speech is considered a great success. | |||||||
7 | 7 | 'The Engine of Change' | Olly Blackburn | Guy Andrews | 2 October 2016 | 7.31 | |
Victoria, pregnant with her first child, is desperately afraid of dying in childbirth. Her mother insists she refrain from affairs of state and rest full-time. The ministers ask Victoria to choose a regent in the case she dies but her baby survives. She insists on Albert as regent, which enrages the Tories. However, Sir Robert Peel believes Albert could be manipulated, and supports him as regent. Albert takes an interest in railway building, but Victoria discourages. Sir Robert takes Albert to ride on his locomotive, which infuriates her. Albert, however, insists that he have some influence in his new country, while she worries that this could undermine her authority as queen. Nevertheless Victoria takes a ride on a locomotive herself, which she finds exhilarating. | |||||||
8 | 8 | 'Young England' | Olly Blackburn | Daisy Goodwin | 9 October 2016 | 7.74 | |
The pregnant Victoria insists on her daily carriage rides to greet her subjects. The Duke of Cumberland, now the King of Hanover, insists that the British people would not accept Albert as regent should Victoria die. Cumberland hints of assassination threats. On 10 June 1840, Edward Oxford attempts to shoot Victoria during a carriage ride. Cumberland, who is first in line to the throne, is blamed but denies any involvement. Oxford's guns were unloaded at the time. He is declared not guilty by reason of insanity and sent to a lunatic asylum. On 21 November 1840, Victoria gives birth without complications to a healthy baby girl, also named Victoria. |
Series 2 (2017)[edit]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [7] | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
9 | 1 | 'A Soldier's Daughter' | Lisa James Larsson | Daisy Goodwin | 27 August 2017 | 6.17 | ||||||
A month after giving birth to her daughter, Victoria finds that the government has not been confiding in her, and becomes irritated with Albert for helping them. After being confined to her rooms to recover from childbirth, Victoria learns that British troops were slain in the Anglo-Afghan War, and she refuses Leopold's attempt to arrange a political marriage for the princess. With the public angry about the military defeats, Victoria makes her first post-childbirth public appearance at the launch of HMS Trafalgar, while Albert seek advice from his brother Ernest on how to repair his relationship with Victoria. Miss Skerrett is promoted following the departure of Mrs Jenkins, while Mr Francatelli, the Queen's previous chef, is persuaded to return. The Duchess of Buccleuch is appointed as the Queen's new Mistress of the Robes following the Duchess of Sutherland's resignation. | ||||||||||||
10 | 2 | 'The Green-Eyed Monster' | Lisa James Larsson | Daisy Goodwin | 3 September 2017 | 6.62 | ||||||
Albert resists his profligate father's demands and, as a result, he visits the Royal Society to meet the pioneers of the computing industry, Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace. He invites them to a palace function. Victoria becomes jealous of Albert's admiration of Lovelace, the daughter of Lord Byron, a man known for his many affairs. Victoria wonders if Albert intends to make her his mistress. She seeks assurance from Lord Melbourne that the relationship is not romantic; he reassures her. Victoria becomes pregnant again, causing initial distress following so soon after the first birth, but it eventually gives Albert and her a reason to reconcile. In the kitchens, a young thief makes his way through the castle, convincing Miss Cleary, the Queen's assistant dresser, that it is haunted and a ghost roams the halls. | ||||||||||||
11 | 3 | 'Warp and Weft' | Geoffrey Sax | Daisy Goodwin | 10 September 2017 | 6.56 | ||||||
After the presence of the thief becomes known, Albert becomes apprehensive about the presence of the boy and inefficiency of the household staff. The wages of the staff are increased as an incentive to make them more attentive. Victoria meets a silk weaver from Spitalfields, who explains how local weavers have been hurt by imported foreign silk. To support them, Victoria decides to hold a ball with all the costumes made from Spitalfields material. Sir Robert Peel advises against it, and on the night of the ball, villagers gather outside the palace to protest at the extravagance while people are starving. An ailing Lord Melbourne also attends and attempts to hide his condition from Victoria. After Melbourne reveals his condition to Albert, Victoria visits Melbourne for an emotional goodbye. She returns to the palace and discovers her beloved dog, Dash, has died; she buries him in the Palace grounds. | ||||||||||||
12 | 4 | 'The Sins of the Father' | Geoffrey Sax | Ottilie Wilford | 17 September 2017 | 6.77 | ||||||
Victoria gives birth to a son and suffers postnatal depression. When Albert travels to Germany to attend his father's funeral, he learns that Leopold believes that he might be Albert's biological father. Albert's mother had found comfort with Leopold while her husband pursued other women. Albert, questioning his beliefs and his sense of identity, drinks excessively, then leaves for England the next day without a farewell. Victoria, encouraged by the Duchess of Buccleuch, continues making public appearances, although her depression makes it exhausting. Miss Skerrett reveals to the Queen that it was her cousin, Eliza, who sold the story about the palace thief to the newspapers. Victoria prepares to remove Skerrett from the palace, but Albert persuades her to allow her to remain. | ||||||||||||
13 | 5 | 'Entente Cordiale' | Jim Loach | Daisy Goodwin | 24 September 2017 | 6.13 | ||||||
Robert Peel expresses his concerns to Victoria that the King of France, Louis Philippe I is planning to marry his son, Duke of Montpensier, to the Queen Isabel II of Spain. Peel fears that an alliance between France and Spain could be contrary to Britain’s interest, and so Victoria travels to France to persuade Louis Philippe to consider an alternative. Victoria is annoyed at the King's constant refusal to discuss the topic and at Albert’s distant behaviour. Albert reveals his fear that he may be illegitimate, but Victoria reassures him that it doesn’t matter. They talk to Louis Philippe about the marriage and are convinced that he is against it. On returning to England, Victoria learns that Louis went ahead with the marriage. They discover that Victoria is pregnant again. | ||||||||||||
14 | 6 | 'Faith, Hope & Charity' | Jim Loach | Daisy Goodwin | 1 October 2017 | 6.05 | ||||||
Victoria gives birth to a daughter, Alice, and Ernest returns to England for the christening. A severe famine in Ireland is caused by a potato blight. The vicar, Robert Traill, receives an apathetic response from the Protestant clergy, writes to Victoria seeking help, and she organises a meeting with him. Peel refuses to help, claiming that showing any form of favouritism, especially to the Irish, would cause unrest and resentment at home. Albert works on improving the palace and of the City of London’s sanitation with the Royal Society. Ernest secretly sees a doctor for his syphilis. After meeting Victoria, Traill falls sick with typhus, and dies. Francatelli gives Cleary his gold watch to pawn for her family; Cleary is later distressed when she discovers that her relatives have emigrated to the United States. | ||||||||||||
15 | 7 | 'The King Over the Water' | Daniel O'Hara | Ottilie Wilford | 8 October 2017 | 6.47 | ||||||
After another attempt is made to assassinate Victoria, she and Albert decide to travel to the Scottish Highlands, staying with the Duke of Atholl at Blair Castle in Perthshire. While out on a ride, they tire of the entertainment and escape to the countryside to spend time alone. They become lost and seek refuge with an elderly couple in their small home. Victoria and Albert find themselves at peace during this brief freedom, but are found the following morning. Edward Drummond, personal secretary to the Prime Minister, who is scheduled to marry for political purposes, enjoys his time with Lord Alfred Paget, and they passionately kiss. Ernest, who previously received news from Albert that the Duchess of Sutherland's husband has passed away, successfully flirts with her. | ||||||||||||
16 | 8 | 'The Luxury of Conscience' | Daniel O'Hara | Daisy Goodwin | 15 October 2017 | 6.40 | ||||||
Peel puts to parliament the ideas of repealing the Corn Laws and making international trade tariff-free, but faces opposition. However, his cause is supported by Albert who attends a session of parliament; his presence and Peel are mocked by both Tories and Whigs. A romance develops between Francatelli and Skerrett. When Leopold arrives unexpectedly, Albert is unsettled. Victoria later quarrels with Albert when he expresses his fears that Baroness Lehzen is improperly caring for their children. When their eldest daughter falls ill and is diagnosed with a very serious fever, Victoria relents and dismisses Lehzen. Peel's bill is passed. Drummond is shot dead shielding Peel from an assassin outside the Palace of Westminster. Peel resigns as Prime Minister. Ernest's syphilis presents indications so he breaks off with the Duchess. Leopold tries to improve his relationship with Victoria and Albert. | ||||||||||||
Special | ||||||||||||
17 | – | 'Comfort and Joy' | Jim Loach | Daisy Goodwin | 25 December 2017 | 5.44 | ||||||
During the Christmas of 1846, Albert introduces the court to Christmas trees, and begins decorating the halls. He invites Victoria's mother to Christmas, without seeking Victoria's approval. An African princess, Sarah, is given to Victoria as a gift by the King of Dahomey. Victoria tries her best to make Sarah feel welcome within the palace, despite Albert's advice. King Leopold continues his attempts to marry Ernest to a wealthy princess from Germany. Ernest continues to admire Duchess Harriet, while keeping secret his illness from the Duchess. Paget, still mourning Drummond's death, eventually proposes and becomes engaged to Wilhelmina, the great-niece of the Duchess of Buccleuch. Penge's financial hope from a railway scheme connecting Leeds to Thirsk comes to nothing. Nancy receives an inheritance from her uncle, which she declines on discovering that it is valued in slaves. She is engaged to Francatelli. The royal couple argue over their expectations for the family Christmas, as well as Sarah's unhappiness, based on their painful childhoods. But after Albert almost drowns while skating, Victoria and Albert realise they must put their pasts aside in order to give their children a memorable Christmas. |
Series 3 (2019)[edit]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original US air date | Original UK air date | UK viewers (millions) [8] | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
18 | 1 | 'Uneasy Lies the Head that Wears the Crown' | Geoffrey Sax | Daisy Goodwin | 13 January 2019 | 24 March 2019 | 6.75 | |
Victoria has had two more children: Prince Alfred and Princess Helena, and is heavily pregnant with her sixth child. As the revolutions of 1848 spread across the Continent, revolutionary ideas grow amongst Britain’s working class. King Louis Philippe, now deposed by the French people in favour of a republic, requests asylum in Britain. Despite warnings from the Prime Minister Lord John Russell and the Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston that hosting foreigners might turn public opinion against her, Victoria gives the former king permission to travel to London. Victoria's maternal half-sister, Princess Feodora of Leiningen, arrives unexpectedly at Buckingham Palace, seeking safety from revolutionaries in Germany. Inspired by the revolutions, the Chartists protest against the monarchy, and Albert insists the family retreat to Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. When Victoria and Albert agree to leave the next day, a Chartist protest outside the Palace culminates with a brick being thrown through the window where Victoria was standing, and the shock causes her waters to break. | ||||||||
19 | 2 | 'London Bridge is Falling Down' | Geoffrey Sax | Daisy Goodwin | 20 January 2019 | 31 March 2019 | 5.87 | |
Victoria goes into labour as the Chartists continue their protests at the palace gates, although they soon pull back. Victoria gives birth to her fourth daughter, Princess Louise, named after Albert's mother. The Prime Minister, along with Lord Palmerston and the Duke of Wellington, ask Victoria to sign the order to deploy troops to block the Chartists. Victoria insists that the Chartists be allowed to deliver their charter to Westminster as they are a peaceful movement, and she refuses to sign. When she learns that a police search conducted at the Chartists' headquarters had found numerous rifles, Victoria believes they were meant to kill her and signs the order. Albert confronts Louis Philippe after he frightens both Vicky and Bertie into believing Victoria will executed by guillotine, and decides their family must depart for Osborne House. Lord Palmerston rescues the Duchess of Monmouth after her carriage is attacked. After passing soldiers guarding the bridge to Westminster, Victoria changes her mind and decides to let the Chartists through. After arriving at Osborne, Victoria receives a report from the Duke that the Chartists had safely delivered the charter, and is frustrated that she was not there. | ||||||||
20 | 3 | 'Et in Arcadia' | Geoffrey Sax | Guy Andrews | 27 January 2019 | 7 April 2019 | N/A (<5.60)[b] | |
While the Royal Family stays at Osborne House, Victoria gets word that Palmerston is hosting Lajos Kossuth, the Hungarian democrat and leader of its constitutionalists, who is supported by many in Parliament. Victoria sees it as an act of insubordination; she and Albert argue about returning to London. Instead, Victoria invites Lord Palmerston and Lord Russell to stay at Osborne to discuss the issue. Victoria and Albert clash over how to raise Bertie. Victoria and Palmerston come to a mutual understanding and she allows him to dine with Kossuth. Francatelli resigns and encourages a reluctant Nancy to do the same so they can start a new life together. Nancy informs Victoria of her resignation and marriage. The Royal Family returns to London at Victoria's insistence. Victoria attempts to visit Albert in his office, but he locks himself in, ignoring her pleas. | ||||||||
21 | 4 | 'Foreign Bodies' | Chloë Thomas | Ottilie Wilford | 3 February 2019 | 14 April 2019 | N/A (<5.91)[b] | |
Victoria and Albert exchange letters arguing whether Albert should leave for Cambridge University after being offered the position of Chancellor, and about Bertie's education. Victoria wants him by her side for a reception for foreign ambassadors after Louise's christening. She learns of a choleraoutbreak that has hit London. Physician John Snow suspects that contaminated water is the cause, and Victoria insists on hearing his theory. At Cambridge, the Earl of Powis competes with Albert to become Chancellor. Although Albert wins the election, he attempts to decline the post, believing students won't support him. Albert accepts after encouragement from Lord Palmerston, who reveals that he had voted for Albert. Nancy reveals to Francatelli that she is pregnant, but later contracts cholera after drinking a tonic to cure morning sickness, unaware it was made with contaminated water. Snow locates the source of the disease, a pump in Soho, and has it shut down. After visiting Nancy before she dies, Victoria reads the letter from Nancy that she previously ignored and seeks comfort from Albert, who has returned home, and they reconcile. Francatelli names the hotel 'Nancy's', after his late wife. | ||||||||
22 | 5 | 'A Show of Unity' | Chloë Thomas | Guy Andrews | 10 February 2019 | 21 April 2019 | N/A (<5.62)[b] | |
Victoria suffers another assassination attempt during a carriage ride with her two eldest children and Sophie, the Duchess of Monmouth. She learns from Abigail that although the Great Famine in Ireland is drawing to a close, there is a strong movement for Irish independence. Victoria decides to visit after she realises that no monarch of the United Kingdom has visited Ireland since the Middle Ages. Bertie stays in London with his new tutor, Mr Caine, while Feodora is supposed to watch the other children. At Palmerston's estate near Sligo, Victoria learns of the open marriage between Lord and Lady Palmerston. Albert asks Lord Palmerston where his tenants have gone and Palmerston explains that he helped them emigrate to New York. Sophie grows closer to Joseph, the footman. Returning home, Victoria discovers Caine abusing Bertie while teaching him. Horrified, Albert worries that he will damage his children and is grateful they will not have any more, until Victoria tells him she is again pregnant. | ||||||||
23 | 6 | 'A Coburg Quartet' | Chloë Thomas | Daisy Goodwin | 17 February 2019 | 28 April 2019 | N/A (<6.18)[b] | |
Victoria's maternal uncle, King Leopold of Belgium, arrives for the christening of her seventh child, Prince Arthur. Victoria discovers that some private drawings by herself and Albert have been copied and printed by the press, which she sees as an affront to her dignity. Abigail and Lord Palmerston tell her she is actually becoming more popular. Albert has a phrenologist study Bertie's head and becomes worried that both Victoria and Bertie have inherited George III's temperament. Feodora organises a Georgian era-themed christening ball, but Victoria is unhappy that Feodora has sold tickets to unsuitable guests. During the ball, Feodora reveals to Victoria that their mother and Leopold sent her away after Victoria's paternal uncle, King George IV, tormented his brothers by entertaining the possibility of marrying Feodora and producing an heir. Sophie, the Duchess of Monmouth, begins an affair with Joseph, the footman. Victoria comes to believe that Feodora hates her and to fear that Albert no longer loves her. | ||||||||
24 | 7 | 'A Public Inconvenience' | Delyth Thomas | Ottilie Wilford | 24 February 2019 | 5 May 2019 | N/A (<6.09)[b] | |
Lord Palmerston and Albert struggle against public opinion - Lord Palmerston for his gunboat diplomacy response to the mistreatment of Don Pacifico in Greece, and Albert for his ambitious project for a great exhibition to celebrate industrial technology. Victoria reduces Feodora's influence by inviting Feodora's daughter, Adelheid, to England as a friendly overture. Sophie, the Duchess of Monmouth, considers running away with Joseph, but her husband arranges for two doctors to imprison her for insanity. Concerned Albert will be humiliated if the exhibition fails, Victoria tries to distract him by offering the post of Commander-in-Chief, but Albert declines. While Lord Palmerston regains public approval, Albert is discouraged by setbacks to his project and decides to become Commander-in-Chief. Victoria decides to support his dream regardless of the outcome, and Albert finds an architect who can create a design that helps the Great Exhibition to succeed. Albert explains to Victoria that after ten years of marriage their love has changed but still exists. | ||||||||
25 | 8 | 'The White Elephant' | Delyth Thomas | Daisy Goodwin | 3 March 2019 | 12 May 2019 | 5.33 | |
The Great Exhibition is a great success, to the royal family's relief, and Albert is cheered by the crowd. Victoria forces the Duke of Monmouth to allow his imprisoned wife to attend, where Joseph arranges for her to flee with him the next day, planning to emigrate to the United States. However, Victoria confronts Sophie, chiding for considering the notion of abandoning her son, and offers to get her a house separate from the Duke. Lord Palmerston's public declaration of support for Napoleon III creates adverse reaction in Parliament that forces him to resign as foreign secretary. Victoria and Albert's relationship with Feodora comes to a head when she admits to contemplating Lord Palmerston's suggestion of a marriage between her daughter and Napoleon III, and not to the prince of Germany as Albert wished. Feodora storms out of Victoria's room vowing to leave for good, but Victoria makes one last attempt at reconciliation. The episode ends in uncertainty as Albert, while talking to Victoria, collapses onto the palace floor, Joseph waits for Sophie at Euston Station, and Lord Palmerston and his wife decide to stay in London as Palmerston seeks to become Prime Minister. |
Production[edit]
Development[edit]
The series was announced in September 2015, following Coleman's decision to leave Doctor Who to join the cast as Queen Victoria.[9][10] Daisy Goodwin said in October 2016 that a Christmas special episode for the 2016 series had been proposed and was rejected by ITV; one was subsequently commissioned for 2017 after the rising ratings popularity for Victoria.[11]
In September 2016, ITV renewed Victoria for a second series, followed by a Christmas special.[12][13] In December 2017, Victoria was renewed for a third series, with Coleman and Hughes set to return.[14]
Beyond the renewal, ITV administration reportedly expects Victoria to run for a total of six series, although whether Jenna Coleman will remain as the lead actress as the series moves into depicting Victoria's later years is uncertain.[15]
Producers Mammoth Screen picked Screen Yorkshire's Church Fenton Studios which is in Tadcaster North Yorkshire, as the central base for the recreation of Buckingham Palace. Church Fenton Studios recently launched, so Victoria subsequently became the first production to film there. It is the first time Yorkshire has needed a large scale studio space to host a major drama. Mammoth Screen spent seven months filming the first series in Yorkshire.[16]
Filming[edit]
Much of Victoria is filmed in Yorkshire. The interiors of Castle Howard double as Kensington Palace, Harewood House stands in for Buckingham Palace, with Bramham Park and Wentworth Woodhouse also being in use for both royal residences. Carlton Towers is in use as Windsor Castle, while Beverley Minster replaces Westminster Abbey. Other locations include Raby Castle, Allerton Castle, Newby Hall and Whitbypier. Church Fenton Studios, a converted aircraft hangar at Leeds East Airport near Selby, was in use to recreate some interiors of Buckingham Palace.[17][18] Parts of Liverpool's Georgian quarter were used for exterior locations for the filming of the third series.[19]
Filming for the third series began in May 2018, after filming for The Cry, another series that Coleman starred in, commenced in Australia in February 2018,[20][21] and concluded in May 2018, so that production on the third series of Victoria could commence.[22]
Music[edit]
The theme song is by Martin Phipps, sung by the Mediæval Bæbes. Phipps also wrote and conducted incidental music for the early episodes. For later episodes the conducting role was undertaken by Ruth Barrett.[23] An official soundtrack for the first series was released on 12 January 2017.[24][25] On 23 February 2019, Barrett has posted via her instagram, she will be releasing a second official soundtrack to accompany the second and third seasons.[26] The second official soundtrack was released 22 February 2019 via Amazon for the United States and will be released at a later date for the United Kingdom.[27]
Track listing | |||
---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Performers | Length |
1. | 'Victoria – The Suite' | Benji Merrison, Mediæval Bæbes | 3:27 |
2. | 'The King is Dead' | 2:49 | |
3. | 'Coronation' | Mediæval Babes | 3:15 |
4. | 'Lord M' | 2:44 | |
5. | 'Locomotives' | 1:52 | |
6. | 'Mirrors' | 1:32 | |
7. | 'The Wedding' | Mediæval Babes | 3:43 |
8. | 'The Royal Birth' | 2:14 | |
9. | 'Privy Council' | 2:50 | |
10. | 'A Royal Affair' | 2:05 | |
11. | 'Victoria Titles' | Mediæval Babes | 1:35 |
Total length: | 28:03 |
Track listing | |||
---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Performers | Length |
1. | 'Allelujah (Arrangement of Theme by Martin Phipps)' | Gillie Mackenzie | 2:38 |
2. | 'Adoration' | 2:13 | |
3. | 'Osborne House' | 1:45 | |
4. | 'Little Flame' | 2:57 | |
5. | 'Reflection' | 2:45 | |
6. | 'The Crown' | 3:56 | |
7. | 'Cholera' | 1:45 | |
8. | 'Skinny Dipping' | 2:06 | |
9. | 'Fever Rising' | 3:30 | |
10. | 'French Court' | 3:25 | |
11. | 'Going to Ireland' | 2:09 | |
12. | 'Albert Wears the Crown' | 4:32 | |
13. | 'Inspecting the Regiment' | 1:33 | |
14. | 'Babies' | 2:13 | |
15. | 'Albert’s Plan' | 1:31 | |
16. | 'Broken Marriage' | 2:47 | |
17. | 'Time of Enchantment' | 2:49 | |
18. | 'Matchmaking' | 2:33 | |
19. | 'Rain' | 2:05 | |
20. | 'The Duchess' | 1:49 | |
21. | 'The Great Exhibition' | 1:48 | |
Total length: | 52:49 |
Release[edit]
Broadcast[edit]
The eight-episode first series premiered on ITV on 28 August 2016 in the UK, and on PBS on 15 January 2017 in the United States as part of Masterpiece.[28] The series premiered on 4 April 2017 in Canada on Vision TV,[29] and January 2019 on ViuTV6 in Hong Kong.
The eight-episode second series premiered on ITV on 27 August 2017, and on PBS on 14 January 2018.[30][31] The second series premiered in Canada on 26 September 2018 on Vision TV.[32]
The eight-episode third series was broadcast on PBS from 13 January to 3 March 2019,[33] before the series was broadcast in the UK,[34] where it aired on ITV from 24 March to 12 May 2019.[35][36]
Home media[edit]
In Region 2, the first series of Victoria was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 10 October 2016.[37] The second series was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 13 November 2017.[38] The 2017 feature-length Christmas Special was released on DVD 26 December 2017.[39]
In Region 1, the first series of Victoria was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 31 January 2017.[40] The second series of Victoria was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 30 January 2018.[41]
Reception[edit]
Critical reception[edit]
The critics' reviews of the first series have been positive. On Rotten Tomatoes, the first series holds a rating of 80%, based on 40 reviews, with an average rating of 6.77/10. The site's consensus reads, 'Strong performances by Jenna Coleman and Rufus Sewell hint at Downton-esque potential for Victoria, but the narrative falls just shy of that soapy mark'.[42] The second series holds a rating of 87%, based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 6.17/10. The site's consensus reads, 'Victoria's sophomore season finds this striking period drama returning with a second batch of episodes that are just as absorbing as its first.'[42] On Metacritic, the first series has a score of 67 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating 'generally favourable reviews'.[43]
Historical accuracy[edit]
Victoria's writer Daisy Goodwin said that the drama was inspired by real events, 'whether they are assassination attempts, the repeal of the Corn Laws, or the terrible potato famine. All the big building blocks of the series are true.'[44]
The story lines are a blending of history, historical inaccuracies, and characters invented for dramatic purposes. In some cases, the historical figures are indistinguishable from invented characters in all but name, with the traits, actions, and experiences having little to do with the real lives of those supposedly portrayed. For example, Dame Diana Rigg was cast to play an elderly and curmudgeonly Duchess of Buccleuch even though the real woman was in her 30s when at court, and older sister Feodora is made into a spiteful schemer living for an extended period of some years with Victoria and Albert, though letters reveal the sisters seemingly had an affectionate bond that made them faithful correspondents across years and distance, with visits relatively rare.
The Duchess of Sutherland is inaccurately depicted as carrying on an improbable romance with prince (later duke) Ernest of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, who is also inaccurately depicted as being unmarried at the time. Margaret Clunie told RadioTimes.com: 'Harriet Sutherland had a famously happy marriage with the Duke of Sutherland and they had these 11 children and lived happily ever after. So we have slightly deviated away from the truth.'[45]
Robert Peel’s Private Secretary Edward Drummond is shown as having a relationship with Lord Alfred Paget, but there’s no evidence that either of the men were gay or had any same-sex relationships. Drummond was fatally shot in 1843. Alfred Paget became the Queen's Chief Equerry in 1846.[46]
Frances Mulraney wrote on IrishCentral that 'Faith, Hope & Charity' epizode 'overplays the extent to which Queen Victoria sought to aid the famine Irish in the 1840s, exaggerating her interest in Ireland.'[47] English-born historian Christine Kinealy, founding director of Ireland's Great Hunger Institute at Quinnipiac University, who has studied Queen Victoria’s diaries and the writings of Prime Ministers Peel and Russell, said that 'There is no evidence that she had any real compassion for the Irish people in any way.'[47] Irish clergyman Robert Traill, who wrote a letter that makes it to the newspapers, had never met Victoria.[48] The creator of the show, Daisy Goodwin, said: 'I thought [Robert Traill's] story would be a good way to illustrate the terrible way in which the Irish were treated by the British government.'[49]
Accolades[edit]
Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | British Academy Television Craft Awards | Best Make Up and Hair Design | Nic Collins | Nominated | [50] |
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) | Martin Phipps, Ruth Barrett, Natalie Holt for 'Doll 123' | Nominated | [51] | |
Outstanding Main Title Theme Music | Martin Phipps | Nominated | [51] |
Notes[edit]
- ^The third series was broadcast on PBS in the United States ahead of its original release on ITV in the United Kingdom. See the episode table and broadcast section for the dates.
- ^ abcdeNot reported in the weekly top 15 programmes for four-screen viewer ratings.
References[edit]
- ^ abcde'Rufus Sewell to join Jenna Coleman in major new ITV drama Victoria'. ITV Press Centre. ITV. 21 October 2015.
- ^ abcd'Tom Hughes to star as Prince Albert in major new ITV drama Victoria'. ITV Press Centre. ITV. 14 December 2015.
- ^ abTartaglione, Nancy (21 October 2015). 'Rufus Sewell Joins ITV's 'Victoria' As Period Drama Adds More Cast'. Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media, LLC. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
- ^'It was impossible to turn down Victoria, says Jenna Coleman'. The Indian Express. PTI. 14 August 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
- ^'Tommy Knight'. www.facebook.com. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
- ^Leane, Rob (22 October 2015). 'Victoria: first pic of Jenna Coleman, Eve Myles joins cast'. Den of Geek. Dennis Publishing Limited.
- ^ ab'Weekly Viewing Summary (see relevant week)'. BARB.
The viewer figures take into account total live viewing in SD and HD, and +1 figures, and are viewed under ITV Total (Incl. +1).
- ^'Four-screen dashboard'. Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^'Jenna Coleman is Leaving Doctor Who'. BBC. 18 September 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
- ^Barraclough, Leo (18 September 2015). 'Jenna Coleman Leaving 'Doctor Who' to Play Queen Victoria'. Variety. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- ^Frost, Caroline (14 October 2016). ''Victoria' Drama Christmas Offer Turned Down By ITV, Reveals Creator Daisy Godwin'. The Huffington Post.
- ^Dowell, Ben (23 September 2016). 'Hallelujah! Victoria to return for a second series'. RadioTimes. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
- ^Lazarus, Susanna (6 October 2016). 'ITV's Victoria gets a 2017 Christmas special, reveals screenwriter Daisy Goodwin'. RadioTimes. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
- ^Clarke, Stewart (12 December 2017). 'Jenna Coleman Returning for Season Three of 'Victoria''. Variety. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
- ^Frost, Caroline (11 October 2016). ''Victoria': ITV Bosses 'Considering Six Series in Total, But Swapping Jenna Coleman Halfway Through'. The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 29 December 2016.
- ^''VICTORIA' - Screen Yorkshire'. Screen Yorkshire. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
- ^'Where was Victoria filmed?'. Radio Times. 25 September 2016.
- ^Penfold, Phil (27 August 2016). 'Filmed in Yorkshire, could Victoria fill the gap left by Downton?'. The Yorkshire Post.
- ^Kirkham, Jenny (12 June 2018). 'This is what they were filming in Liverpool's Georgian Quarter today'. liverpoolecho. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
- ^'First look at Jenna Coleman in BBC One's The Cry and further casting'. BBC. 20 February 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
- ^Kentera, Yasmin (26 February 2018). 'Australia's finest join the cast of new drama The Cry'. ABC. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
- ^Bley Griffiths, Eleanor (25 September 2018). 'When is Jenna Coleman's child abduction thriller The Cry coming to TV?'. Radio Times. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
- ^Dowell, Ben (25 September 2016). 'What is the Victoria title music? Who wrote the theme? Who sings it? Was it played at her wedding to Albert?'. Radio Times. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
- ^'Well we have rather excellent news... It's here... Head over to Spotify ? ? #Victoria #Soundtrack'. Facebook. 13 January 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
- ^'Victoria (Original Soundtrack)'. Spotify. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
- ^'Music from series 2&3 ready for anyone who fancies more Victoria tunes'. Instagram. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
- ^''Victoria' Season 2 & 3 Soundtrack Released'. Film Music Reporter. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
- ^Martin, William (12 August 2016). 'US start date confirmed for Jenna Coleman's 'Victoria' series'. CultBox. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
- ^'Episodes - Vision TV Channel Canada'. Vision TV Canada. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
- ^Doran, Sarah (17 August 2017). 'JK Rowling and Jenna Coleman set for Bank Holiday Sunday clash'. Radio Times. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
- ^Petski, Denise (16 August 2017). ''Victoria' Gets Season 2 Premiere Date On PBS'. Deadline. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
- ^'Episodes - Vision TV Channel Canada'. Vision TV Canada.
- ^'Victoria - MASTERPIECE on PBS'. PBS. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
- ^Harp, Justin. 'Victoria season 3 will air in the US before ITV – and fans aren't happy'. DigitalSpy. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
- ^'Official Victoria via Instragram: 'Destiny means that #Victoria will return to UK screens this month on @ITV!''. Instagram. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^'Official Victoria via Twitter: 'Royal announcement! #Victoria will be returning to @ITV on 24th March at 9pm. ?''. Twitter. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
- ^'Victoria [DVD] [2016]'. Amazon. 10 October 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- ^'Victoria Series 2 [DVD] [2017]'. Amazon. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- ^'Victoria - The Christmas Special: Comfort and Joy [DVD] [2017]'. Amazon. 26 December 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
- ^Lambert, David (17 November 2016). 'Victoria - PBS Press Release for DVDs, Blu-rays of the Upcoming 'Masterpiece' Show'. TVShowsOnDVD. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- ^Lambert, David (1 November 2017). 'Victoria - Release Date, Box Art for 'The Complete 2nd Season' on DVD, Blu-ray'. TVShowsOnDVD. Archived from the original on 5 November 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- ^ ab'Victoria: Season 2 (2016)'. www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
- ^'Victoria'. Metacritic.
- ^'How accurate is ITV's Victoria season three?'. The Week. 25 March 2019.
- ^'Victoria: Who was the real Harriet Duchess of Sutherland – and did she fall in love with Prince Ernst?'. RadioTimes. 15 April 2019.
- ^Bley Griffiths, Eleanor (20 October 2017). 'What really happened to Edward Drummond? The tragic case of Robert Peel's Private Secretary'. Radio Times.
- ^ abMulraney, Frances (11 February 2018). 'The real story of Queen Victoria and the Irish Famine on the anniversary of her Irish visit'. IrishCentral.
- ^'Fact or Fiction: Inside Episode 4'. PBS.
- ^'Victoria: what is the truth about the Irish Famine, and who was Robert Traill?'. The Daily Telegraph. 2 October 2017.
- ^'Television Craft Awards Winners 2017'. British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). 26 March 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
- ^ ab'69th Emmy® Awards Nominations'(PDF). Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. 13 July 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
External links[edit]
- Victoria on IMDb
- Victoria at TV.com
- Victoria at epguides.com
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