Album Description

Since the  announcement of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, I have been glued to my devices. With each new video, interview, and article I come across, I am captivated by the drama and extravagance of the monarchy and its impact on the United Kingdom.

It also made me think of England’s last Queen, Victoria I. Queen Victoria died in 1901 as, at the time, England’s longest reigning monarch. I wondered how historical newspaper coverage of her death from that time might compare to media coverage of Queen Elizabeth’s death today. Was there the same fanfare? Controversy? Did Americans even care?

After an initial search on Chronicling America, The San Francisco Call’s January 23^rd issue had a front page which caught my eye. The headline, Victoria’s Reign Ends, And Edward VII is King, is rather simple, but the images accompanying it are anything but. Along the left and bottom borders of the front page, there are sketches outlining some of the Queen’s most important moments. These moments include her coronation and wedding, her first railway journey, the marriages of her children, and her relationship with fellow monarchs. The article is mournful, if not a bit dramatic, comparing her death to that of Abraham Lincoln. The article ends with the all too familiar phrase these days, “The Queen is dead. Long live the King.”

The San Francisco Call published many issues featuring Queen Victoria or the royal family on the cover on the days before and after her death. January 24’s issue features a headline affirming Edward VII as king and includes an article entitled “President McKinley is first to salute Britain’s New King.” The days preceding Queen Victoria’s death include front page headlines updating its readership on her health, the arrival of her children to her bedside, and reverence of her legacy.  This paper, however, was not the only one  following this story. Newspapers across the country reported on the monarch’s health on their front page. For those with evening editions, the news of her passing was announced on January 22, for others the next day. Some papers, like The Delawarean, include a single article on her death on the top right column of the first page, while other papers dedicated entire setons to her legacy.    

Comparing these historical newspapers to current news coverage of Queen Elizabeth might be an interesting opportunity for students to examine how the news cycle has changed, but also how in many ways it remains the same. Some aspects to compare are the headlines used, the life events covered, the coverage of the new Kings, and reports on how various countries have mourned (or not) the monarch’s passing. 

Attached is an album featuring articles relating to Queen Victoria’s death. I would love to hear how you might use old historic newspapers  to reflect on modern current events with your learners!