In this picture, colorized by Marina Amaral, Queen Victoria poses with one of her Pomeranians. She first discovered the breed in 1888, while visiting Florence, Italy. The dog, also called a Volpino Italiano, is a Spitz breed, but they are also commonly known as Pomeranians, as they are from the Pomerania region of Central Europe, which is in present-day Poland and Eastern Germany.
Colorized by Marina Amaral.
Queen Victoria initially introduced four Pomeranians to the Royal household, Marco, and Gina, who would win prizes, along with two others. Because of Queen Victoria’s influence, the Pomeranian would find new popularity. She liked the breed so much, that at one point, she had 35 Pomeranians in the royal kennel. Turi was present not only in this carriage ride, but also at her bedside when she died, as per her request.
Queen Victoria Truly Was A Dog Lover
Prior to adopting all of those Pomeranians, Queen Victoria had a King Charles Spaniel, which had been given to her mother, the Duchess of Kent in January 1833. The dog, named Dash, became Victoria’s by April; she doted on him and in return he was loyal to her. She frequently wrote about Dash, sometimes called Dashy, providing the details of his daily life. She kept Dash after her accession to the throne in 1837, and she continued to dote on the dog; after her coronation on June 28, 1838, she made sure to return to Buckingham Palace to bathe Dash. When she married Prince Albert, Dash spent time with Prince Albert’s Greyhound, Eos. She had a number of other dog breeds as well, including a Pekingese named Looty, who was the first of his breed in Great Britain and was taken from the Chinese Summer Palace during the Second Opium War.
Victorians And Their Pets
Queen Victoria and her dog Sharp. Source: (Wikipedia/colorized).
Queen Victoria’s affection for her pets was not out of the ordinary for the time period, as the Victorians helped to change attitudes about domestic animals. Prior to the 19th century, animals were not kept as pets, and sometimes aristocratic women were satirized wearing ostentatious outfits and holding a lapdog. Unlike more modern perceptions of pets, an animal was expected to earn its keep. But this changed in the early 19th century, when people began to see pets as beneficial for children, because pets helped to instill responsibility. They also enhanced domesticity, which was important for morality and the pets people kept was an indicator of social class. Working class families captured wild birds to keep as pets in cages, hanging them outside their windows, while middle class families bought dogs, as dogs embodied Victorian values like courage and loyalty. Pedigree dog breeding became popular during the Victorian era, and owning pedigree dogs would indicate higher status. The wealthiest Victorians also kept parrots and monkeys as pets. Some families kept rabbits and young boys built rabbit hutches and were expected to look after the animals.
She Had A Number Of Pets
Queen Victoria with one of her daughters. Source: (Wikipedia).
Like other Victorians, Queen Victoria had a variety of animals, not just dogs. She had three ponies: Alma and Flora, two Shetland ponies, and Picco, a Sardinian pony. When the Shah of Persia presented her with two Tibetan goats after her accension, a royal goat herd was established at Windsor. Additionally, she had a donkey named Jacquot, an African gray parrot named Coco, and a lory. Although they had quite the menagerie of animals, that didn’t stop Queen Victoria from taking her children to Regent’s Park Zoo to see elephants, monkeys, and giraffes.
She Tried To Change Public Opinion About Cats
Although she wasn’t as fond of cats as her dogs, she did provide a home for many of them, and after her death, her last cat, White Heather, who was a fluffy white Persian or Angora; White Heather continued to live at Buckingham Palace after Queen Victoria’s death. During her lifetime, people had an aversion to cats, believing them to be sly and calculating. Unfortunately, in the past cats were associated with witches, which seemed to affect the Victorian perception of the cat. Victoria recognized that something needed to be done about the public’s opinion of cats, she insisted that a cat be included on the Queen’s Medal of Kindness for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
