The Girlhood of Queen Victoria. A Selection from Her Majesty’s Diaries Between the Years 1832 and 1840.

VICTORIA, Queen. Edited by Viscount Esher.

Item Number: 115894

London: John Murray, 1912.

First edition of this selection from Queen Victoria’s early diaries. Octavo, two volumes bound in three quarters morocco over marbled boards for J. & E. Bumpus with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers. Illustrated with 34 tissue-guarded engravings including frontispieces to each volume. From the library of Viscountess Annie Cowdray with her elaborately engraved bookplates to each volume and an gift inscription to her from her to the second free endpaper of Volume I. In near fine condition. A superior example with noted provenance.

In her early years, Queen Victoria formed the habit of methodologically preserving her diaries and private letters. After her accession to the throne, she treated her official papers similarly and bound them into volumes, resulting in this extraordinary collection illustrating the development of her character and disposition and revealing the laborious patience with which she kept herself informed of the minutest details of political and social movements both in her own and other countries. The Girlhood of Queen Victoria contains selections from her diaries prior to and within the early years of her accession to the throne.