QUEEN VICTORIA

Victoria was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20th June, 1837, until her death in 1901. On 1st May, 1876, she adopted the additional title of Empress of India.
 (All information is from Wikipedia.)

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, the fourth son of King George III, was Victoria's father, her mother was Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Alexandrina Victoria was their only child, born at 4.15am on 24th May, 1819, at Kensington Palace in London. She was christened privately by the Archbishop of Canterbury on 24th June, 1819, in the Cupola Room at Kensington Palace, being baptized Alexandrina, after one of her godparents, Emperor Alexander I of Russia, and Victoria, after her mother. When she was born, Victoria was fifth in line to the throne.
Victoria herself described her childhood as "rather melancholy", her mother being extremely protective. She was isolated from other children under the so-called "Kensington System", which was designed to render Victoria weak and dependent unpon her mother and Sir John Conroy (who was rumoured to be her mother's lover). Victoria's mother, the Duchess, avoided the Court because she was scandalized by the presence of King William's illigitimate children. This may have prompted the emergence of Victorian morality. Sharing a bedroom with her mother every night, Victoria studied with private tutors to a regular timetable, and spent her play-hours with her dolls and her King Charles Spaniel, Dash. Victoria's lessons included French, German, Italian, and Latin, but she spoke only English at home. Her uncle Leopold, her mother's brother, was considered Victoria's "best and kindest adviser."

On 24th May, 1837, Victoria became 18. Less than a month later, King William IV died. Victoria became Queen. Official documents prepared on the first day of her reign described her as Alexandrina Victoria but the first name was with drawn at her own wish and never used again.
Lord Melbourne was the Prime Minister at this time, and soon became a powerful influence on the politically inexperienced Queen, who relied on him for advice. Victoria's Coronation took place on 28th June, 1838, at Westminster Abbey. This Queen became the first sovereign to take up residence at Buckingham Palace.

 Victoria fell in love with her cousin Prince Albert and they married on 10th February, 1840, in the Chapel Royal of St.James's Palace in London. The couple bought nine children into the world :
Victoria born on 21st November 1840
Albert Edward born 1841
Alice born 1843
Alfred born 1844
Helena born 1846
Louise born 1848
Arthur born 1850
Leopold born 1853
Beatrice born 1857.

Victoria's childhood governess, Baroness Louise Lehzen, was a great influence and close friend. However, Albert thought Lehzen was incompetent, and that her mismanagement threatened his daughter's health. Lehzen was pensioned off in 1842.

Albert became ill with typhoid fever and died on 14th December, 1861. Victoria was devastated and became isolated from the public for many years. In time, she realized the importance of being seen by her public and Victoria started her 'public duties' again. 

Queen Victoria saw all of her children married into Royal and Noble families. In 1887, the British Empire celebrated Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. On 23rd September, 1896, Queen Victoria became the longest-reigning Monarch of that time and celebrated her Diamond Jubilee in 1897. In 1901, Queen Victoria died at half past six in the evening of Tuesday 22nd January. Victoria was 81.
The Victoria Cross was introduced in 1856 to reward acts of valour during the Crimean War, and it remains the highest British award for bravery.

CLEOPATRA

Cleopatra VII Philopator was the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt. Cleopatra was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, a Greek family of Macedonian origin that ruled Egypt after Alexander the Great's death during the Hellenistic period. Cleopatra herself spoke Greek but also learnt Egyptian  and represented herself as the reincarnation of the Egyptian Goddess Isis.

Cleopatra VII was born in 69BC - 68BC and ruled Egypt from 51BC - 30BC. When her father, Ptolemy XII died, Cleopatra became co-regent with her 10 year old brother Ptolemy XIII, to whom she was married according to Egyptian tradition. Cleopatra was said to be beautiful, highly intelligent and as astute politician, who herself brought prosperity and peace to a country that was bankrupt and split by civil war.
In 48BC, Egypt became embroiled in the conflict in Rome between Julius Caesar and Pompey. Pompey fled to Alexandria (the capitol of Egypt), where he was murdered on the orders of Ptolemy. Caesar followed and he and Cleopatra became lovers. Having been put in exile by her brother, Cleopatra was reinstalled as Queen with Roman support. Ptolemy was killed in the fighting.

In 47BC, Cleopatra bore Caesar a child --- Caesarion--- though Caesar never publicly acknowledged the child as his son. Ceasar went back to Rome followed by Cleopatra, but after his assassination in 44BC, Cleopatra returned to Egpyt. Cleopatra made her son Caesarion co-regent.
Mark Antony, in 41BC, began both a political and romantic alliance with Cleopatra. He was at this time in dispute with Octavian (Caesar's adopted son)  over the succession to the Roman leadership. Cleopatra and Mark Antony had three children --- two sons and one daughter.

In 31BC, Mark Anthony and Cleopatra combined armies to take on Octavian's forces in a great sea battle at Actium. Octavian was victorious and Cleopatra and Mark Anthony fled to Egypt. Octavian captured Alexandria in 30BC. With his soldiers deserting him, Mark Anthony took his own life, Cleopatra chose to do the same, committing suicide on 12th August, 30BC.

This is the "story" of Cleopatra. But --- who was the woman ? What was Cleopatra really like ? How did she have such power over two Romans who were themselves in power ?
Cleopatra spoke a dozen languages. She was educated in mathematics, philosophy, oratory and astronomy. Plutarch claimed that Cleopatra's beauty was "not altogether incomparable", and that is was her sweet sounding voice and "irresistible charm" that made her so desirable. Cleopatra really believed that she was a Goddess on Earth and "showed" this, thus dazzling the great Caesar and Mark Anthony.

Women In History

There are many famous women in history who have inspired and been beacons of light for the ordinary woman to 'follow'. From Cleopatra to our dear Queen Elizabeth II, these women have been selfless in securing the well-being of those they love and their countries. Women over time have been given hope of a happier and freer life and future. Even childbirth has become "easier" with more mothers and babies living now than at any other time in history. Never before has "Madame Fashion" been so controlled that women are far more comfortable in what they wear now than before. Even in the 'world of men' --- Politics --- women have been allowed to advance to even becoming a Prime Minister in this country. We now see women doctors, teachers, nurses, lawyers and we even see women within the army now. "Equality" seems to come from every corner of life and yet, for some of us, just a little freedom makes us happy.

                                 Which woman in history has inspired you personally ?

LENA KUCHLER

                                                                    LENA KUCHLER
                                                                      A HEROINE
Lena was born in 1910 and grew up in Wieliczka, Poland. After completing her studies in the Hebrew gymnasium (Lena was a Polish Jew) in Krakow, she went on to study philosophy, psychology and pedagogy. During the Holocaust, Lena lost her own daughter but saved the children of others from death. After the Jews in her city were deported to Belzec, Lena managed to make her way to Warsaw where she lived under an alias, which she used to help smuggle children out of the Ghetto.
A well-known story tells how in June 1942, Lena found a live baby lying on top of the corpse of its mother. Tucking the baby under her coat, Lena smuggled the baby out of the Ghetto. She found it refuge.

After the war, Lena returned home only to discover that her family and neighbours had all been driven away by anti- Semitism and that her sister, Fela, had been killed by the Gestapo.
Lena went to the Jewish Committee Center in Krakow where surviving Jews could obtain food, water and clothing, as well as to locate family members. There she discovered dozens of abandoned Jewish children, ages 3-15, and became determined to help them. Lena obtained the necessary food, clothing and medical aid and found a large estate in Zakopane to establish a children's home. However, hostility from Polish neighbours and a resulting attack by Polish villagers who tried to murder the 100 children she was protecting forced Lena to relocate. In 1949, Lena finally managed to take all the children through France and into Israel, where she brought them to the Schiller Kibbutz.