Queen Victoria Funeral Programme

Continuing on our little discovery of ephemera and funeralia, let’s focus on another wonderful piece from Queen Victoria’s passing…

For the funeral itself, this funeral programme is one of the most literal pieces of mourning paraphernalia. It shows the procession of the funeral along with a timeline of her life and achievements.

Note the black border once again. The programme itself has a natural photo of the Queen and shows the advancement of the technique at the turn of the century, as printing had advanced to the stage where large photography was a feasible option to produce at an affordable cost.

The memorial pin with black silk attachment represents a memorial card in its style and is quite a delicate piece. Worn publicly as a memorial item for the funeral and the following period, it has a statement of ‘In Memory of our BELOVED QUEEN born May 24 th, 1819 / Died Jan 22 nd, 1901 / Reigned 68 years, 126 Days’. On the front it shows a gentle depiction of Victoria inside a black circle. That pieces like this can survive so well through the years is remarkable and the common and tactile purpose of it shows the level of public mourning that followed Victoria’s death.

Courtesy: Barbara Robbins
Queen Victoria Programme. Memoir / Pin 1901

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