The Argosy, Vol. 63

This January 1897 issue of The Argosy, published on the occasion of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, contains an extensive commemorative essay examining her reign in relation to previous English monarchs. The main article, titled "By Me Kings Reign," compares Victoria favorably with Elizabeth I, praising the former's purity, domestic virtue, and religious devotion while characterizing Elizabeth as intellectually powerful but temperamentally despotic, cruel, and inconsistent. The piece details Victoria's early life at Kensington Palace under the guidance of the Duchess of Kent, describing her simple, disciplined upbringing and ancestral lineage including descent from Elizabeth of Bohemia. The essay emphasizes Victoria's mother's crucial role in forming her character through early rising, modest meals, regular exercise, and restricted pocket money. Various portraits are included, among them Zucchero's painting of Elizabeth I and historical images of Kensington Palace.