Newcastle and Queen Victoria: it’s not exactly a love story. In fact, it’s more of a historical spat with a touch of Victorian shade, all wrapped up in a pair of very large, very royal undergarments. If you’ve ever wondered why our great city didn’t quite gel with the prim and proper Queen, you’re in for a tale that’s as curious as it is revealing.
The snub of 1849
The roots of this peculiar relationship stretch back to 1849. Picture the scene: Queen Victoria, in all her regal splendour, is on her way back to London from Balmoral. Now, usually, a royal visit is a big deal – parades, speeches, and enough fanfare to keep the city buzzing for days. Newcastle, with its usual flair, had prepared a grand welcome for the Queen, complete with festivities to mark the opening of the High Level Bridge over the Tyne.
But Queen Victoria had other ideas. Instead of a full-blown royal affair, she opted for a brief, almost dismissive stop on the bridge itself. A few speeches were made, the train’s brakes were briefly tested, and then – off she went, leaving Newcastle high and dry with a party but no guest of honour. The locals, who had been eagerly anticipating the Queen’s visit, were left feeling slighted, a sentiment that would only fester over time.
An invoice too far
You might think that was the end of it. A hurried visit, a bit of disappointment – life goes on, right? Wrong. Things took a darker turn when the bill for the city’s unfulfilled celebrations somehow found its way to Buckingham Palace. Now, if there’s one thing you didn’t do in the 19th century, it was send the Queen an invoice for a party she didn’t attend.
Deeply affronted, Queen Victoria reportedly never forgot this perceived slight. The story goes that she ordered the blinds to be drawn every time her train passed through Newcastle, a symbolic gesture that couldn’t have been more clear: Newcastle was out of favour, firmly on the Queen’s naughty list.
But the ultimate insult came years later, upon her death. In a move that was part royal bequest, part colossal snub, Queen Victoria left two pairs of her voluminous cotton drawers to the Royal Infirmary in Newcastle. Yes, you read that right – knickers, the royal kind. As legacies go, it wasn’t exactly the crown jewels.
The Geordie response
Now, you might think such a pointed insult would leave Newcastle licking its wounds, forever nursing a grudge against the monarchy. But here’s the thing about Geordies – they’re made of sterner stuff. Rather than wallow in royal disdain, the people of Newcastle turned the tale into a badge of honour, a quirky anecdote that only added to the city’s rich tapestry of history.
Today, the story of Queen Victoria’s undergarments is often recounted on walking tours of the city and shared with a wink and a nudge. It’s become part of the city’s cultural fabric, a symbol of Newcastle’s resilience and its ability to take even the most absurd of situations in stride.
Lasting impact
So, why did Queen Victoria hate Newcastle? The truth is, it wasn’t so much hatred as it was a blend of royal irritation and a touch of Victorian arrogance. Her disdain was rooted in a personal slight, magnified by a city’s enthusiastic but ultimately ill-fated attempt to honour her.
Yet, instead of lingering as a bitter memory, the episode has become a quirky chapter in the city’s history – a story that Newcastle owns with humour and pride.
