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Louise, Baroness Lehzen
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Louise, Baroness Lehzen
Johanna Clara Louise, Baroness von Lehzen (3 October 1784 – 9 September 1870) was the governess and later companion to Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.
Lehzen was born to a Lutheran pastor Joachim Friedrich Lehzen (1735-1800) and his wife, Marie Catharina Melusine Palm (1745-1793), herself the daughter of a priest. In 1819 she entered the household of the Duke of Kent, fourth son of King George III. Five years later, Lehzen was appointed governess to his only child, Princess Alexandrina Victoria. The young princess became second-in-line to the British throne in 1827.
Victoria's upbringing was dominated by the controlling Kensington System, implemented by the widowed Duchess of Kent and her comptroller Sir John Conroy. Lehzen was strongly protective of Victoria, and encouraged the princess to be strong, informed, and independent from the Duchess and Conroy's influence, causing friction within the household. Attempts to remove the governess were unsuccessful, as Lehzen had the support of Victoria's royal uncles. "Dear, good Lehzen" soon came to supersede all others – including her own mother – in Victoria's eyes.
When Victoria became queen in 1837, Lehzen served as a sort of unofficial private secretary, enjoying apartments adjacent to Victoria. The queen's marriage to Prince Albert in 1840 led to significant changes in the royal household. Albert and Lehzen detested each other, and after an illness of the Princess Royal in 1841, Lehzen was dismissed. Her close relationship with the queen came to an end, although the two continued to correspond. Lehzen spent her final years in Hanover on a generous pension, dying in 1870. Lehzen was a major influence on Victoria's character, in particular giving her the strength of will to survive her troubled childhood and life as a young queen.
Johanna Clara Louise Lehzen was born in Hanover on 3 October 1784, the youngest of ten children born to the Lutheran pastor Joachim Friedrich Lehzen and his wife, Melusine Palm. Forced by circumstances to work for her living since she was young, Lehzen was employed by an aristocratic German family von Marenholtz. She served as governess to the family's three daughters, and earned positive references.
Based on these references, Lehzen became part of the household of Princess Victoria, Duchess of Kent in December 1819. In that role, she held the position of governess to twelve-year-old Princess Feodora of Leiningen, the daughter of the princess from her first marriage. In her second marriage, Princess Victoria had married Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, who was, at the time, fourth in line for the British throne. Lehzen and the entire household were moved to England in 1817 so that the new Duchess of Kent's child might be born there, strengthening the child's claim to the throne. The baby was a girl, christened Alexandrina Victoria after her mother and her godfather, Alexander I of Russia; she would grow up to be Queen Victoria.
The Duke of Kent died quite suddenly in 1820, followed quickly by his father, King George III. Victoria's uncle, the Prince Regent, ascended the throne as King George IV. Victoria was now third in line to the throne, after her uncles the Duke of York and the Duke of Clarence, both of whom were well past middle age and neither of whom had legitimate heirs. As the likely eventual heir, Victoria had to be educated accordingly. Feodora was now 14, and no longer required the services of a governess. After the dismissal of nursemaid Mrs. Brock, Lehzen – as she was always known in the household – took over five-year-old Victoria's care in 1824. The Duchess and her comptroller, John Conroy, made the appointment not only because Lehzen was German (rather than English), but also because they believed she was unlikely to operate independently of their wishes.
The historian Christopher Hibbert describes Lehzen as "a handsome woman, despite her pointed nose and chin, clever, emotional, humourless." Though she at first feared Lehzen's stern manner, "dear, good Lehzen" soon came to occupy a place in Victoria's heart that superseded all others, including her own mother, the Duchess of Kent. Lehzen encouraged the princess to distrust her mother and her mother's friends, and to maintain her independence. The governess was uninterested in money and lacked ambition for herself, instead choosing to devote her time and energy to the princess. Victoria took to calling Lehzen "Mother" and "dearest Daisy" in private, writing Lehzen was "the most affectionate, devoted, attached, and disinterested friend I have." As part of the controlling Kensington System devised by Conroy, after 1824 Victoria was to be accompanied by Lehzen at all times during the day; consequently Lehzen was not allowed out to leave Victoria's side until the Duchess dismissed her at nighttime, and was required to hold the princess' hand when Victoria descended a staircase.
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Louise, Baroness Lehzen
Johanna Clara Louise, Baroness von Lehzen (3 October 1784 – 9 September 1870) was the governess and later companion to Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.
Lehzen was born to a Lutheran pastor Joachim Friedrich Lehzen (1735-1800) and his wife, Marie Catharina Melusine Palm (1745-1793), herself the daughter of a priest. In 1819 she entered the household of the Duke of Kent, fourth son of King George III. Five years later, Lehzen was appointed governess to his only child, Princess Alexandrina Victoria. The young princess became second-in-line to the British throne in 1827.
Victoria's upbringing was dominated by the controlling Kensington System, implemented by the widowed Duchess of Kent and her comptroller Sir John Conroy. Lehzen was strongly protective of Victoria, and encouraged the princess to be strong, informed, and independent from the Duchess and Conroy's influence, causing friction within the household. Attempts to remove the governess were unsuccessful, as Lehzen had the support of Victoria's royal uncles. "Dear, good Lehzen" soon came to supersede all others – including her own mother – in Victoria's eyes.
When Victoria became queen in 1837, Lehzen served as a sort of unofficial private secretary, enjoying apartments adjacent to Victoria. The queen's marriage to Prince Albert in 1840 led to significant changes in the royal household. Albert and Lehzen detested each other, and after an illness of the Princess Royal in 1841, Lehzen was dismissed. Her close relationship with the queen came to an end, although the two continued to correspond. Lehzen spent her final years in Hanover on a generous pension, dying in 1870. Lehzen was a major influence on Victoria's character, in particular giving her the strength of will to survive her troubled childhood and life as a young queen.
Johanna Clara Louise Lehzen was born in Hanover on 3 October 1784, the youngest of ten children born to the Lutheran pastor Joachim Friedrich Lehzen and his wife, Melusine Palm. Forced by circumstances to work for her living since she was young, Lehzen was employed by an aristocratic German family von Marenholtz. She served as governess to the family's three daughters, and earned positive references.
Based on these references, Lehzen became part of the household of Princess Victoria, Duchess of Kent in December 1819. In that role, she held the position of governess to twelve-year-old Princess Feodora of Leiningen, the daughter of the princess from her first marriage. In her second marriage, Princess Victoria had married Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, who was, at the time, fourth in line for the British throne. Lehzen and the entire household were moved to England in 1817 so that the new Duchess of Kent's child might be born there, strengthening the child's claim to the throne. The baby was a girl, christened Alexandrina Victoria after her mother and her godfather, Alexander I of Russia; she would grow up to be Queen Victoria.
The Duke of Kent died quite suddenly in 1820, followed quickly by his father, King George III. Victoria's uncle, the Prince Regent, ascended the throne as King George IV. Victoria was now third in line to the throne, after her uncles the Duke of York and the Duke of Clarence, both of whom were well past middle age and neither of whom had legitimate heirs. As the likely eventual heir, Victoria had to be educated accordingly. Feodora was now 14, and no longer required the services of a governess. After the dismissal of nursemaid Mrs. Brock, Lehzen – as she was always known in the household – took over five-year-old Victoria's care in 1824. The Duchess and her comptroller, John Conroy, made the appointment not only because Lehzen was German (rather than English), but also because they believed she was unlikely to operate independently of their wishes.
The historian Christopher Hibbert describes Lehzen as "a handsome woman, despite her pointed nose and chin, clever, emotional, humourless." Though she at first feared Lehzen's stern manner, "dear, good Lehzen" soon came to occupy a place in Victoria's heart that superseded all others, including her own mother, the Duchess of Kent. Lehzen encouraged the princess to distrust her mother and her mother's friends, and to maintain her independence. The governess was uninterested in money and lacked ambition for herself, instead choosing to devote her time and energy to the princess. Victoria took to calling Lehzen "Mother" and "dearest Daisy" in private, writing Lehzen was "the most affectionate, devoted, attached, and disinterested friend I have." As part of the controlling Kensington System devised by Conroy, after 1824 Victoria was to be accompanied by Lehzen at all times during the day; consequently Lehzen was not allowed out to leave Victoria's side until the Duchess dismissed her at nighttime, and was required to hold the princess' hand when Victoria descended a staircase.
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