Queen Victoria famously crocheted eight scarves in the last year of her life, awarding them for bravery to selected veterans among her forces in the South African War. Known as The Queen’s Scarves, these were received with honour and worn as sashes with great pride. Four were earmarked for servicemen in the Colonial Forces of South Africa, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The remaining four were awarded to members of the British Army.
Knitting as part of the war effort was passed down several generations and became somewhat of a tradition among the royal family. For example, the young Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) and her sister Princess Margaret famously knitted for the forces in the Second World War.
From making play dolls and royal gifts to spinning at the end of a long day, these journal entries and rare surviving examples of the Queen’s craft give a personal and not widely known insight into the life of the powerful monarch of the British Empire. As one of her contemporaries, journalist and poet Sir Edwin Arnold wrote in the Diamond Jubilee edition of The Woman at Home magazine, “Her Majesty is, and has been, the ornament – to offer a few observations, not on the historical, political, or imperial particulars of the Reign, but upon the Womanhood – the essentially feminine virtues and qualities – which our good Queen has illustrated and manifested in all circumstances of her memorable sway”.
Love history and trivia? Subscribe to our free History of London newsletter for stories from our collections, displays and exhibitions.