Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria (24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was a supporter of the arts. Until her husband's death in 1861 she had made numerous visits to the public theatres in London and had professional companies perform at royal properties. After 1861 she never returned to a performance at a public theatre, but she did host private theatricals. She hosted tableaux vivants performed by her family in various royal homes and towards the end of her reign invited professional companies to perform there once again. For example, on 16 September 1895 George Alexander's theatre company performed R. C Carton's Liberty Hall at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Queen Victoria's support of public and private theatricals is often cited as crucial to the acceptability and development of amateur theatre in Britain during the nineteenth century.