1890 Queen’s Speech

Queen Victoria’s 1890 throne speech reads like a state of the union address. In it, she discusses the foreign affairs with Portugal, the United States, and Australia, and introduces her proposal for improving relations with Ireland by helping them establish a form of self-government. Progress is being made in abolishing the slave-trade worldwide, she says, and the Crown has a plan for lowering government spending. This speech provides a fascinating look into British politics in the Victorian Era.