Her Majesty Leaving Buckingham Palace, June 28, 1838 [left half] c. 19th century

This anonymous print depicts Queen Victoria leaving Buckingham Palace on June 28, 1838. The image captures a moment of transition in British history, as the young queen navigated the complexities of monarchy in a rapidly changing world. Consider the layers of identity and power dynamics represented here. The Queen, a symbol of authority, is at the center. The cheering crowds, a mix of classes, express their allegiance. What does it mean to see a young woman in this role? How might her gender shape her reign? The print invites us to reflect on the pageantry of statehood. But it also prompts us to consider the lives of those outside the frame—the working class, the colonized—whose labor and resources sustained the monarchy. In this way the image both sustains traditional representations and opens alternative narratives.