She’s related to Queen Elizabeth II… and her husband, Prince Philip.

She’s related to Queen Elizabeth II… and her husband, Prince Philip.
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Our current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, is the great-great granddaughter of Queen Victoria, but the family connections don’t stop there. Queen Elizabeth’s husband, Prince Philip, is also one of Victoria’s great-great grandchildren, making the royal couple third cousins. Of course, this means princes William and Harry continue Queen Victoria’s lineage, too: they are her great-great-great-great grandsons.

These are the things Queen Elizabeth II doesn’t want you to know about Prince Philip.

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Queen Victoria’s name lives on around the world

Queen Victoria’s name lives on around the world
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There is no shortage of dedications to Queen Victoria. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London (above), the states of Queensland and Victoria in Australia, Victoria Peak in Hong Kong, Victoria Falls in Zambia and Zimbabwe and Victoria Park in Auckland all owe their names to the monarch. Many of the Queen and Victoria streets you encounter on your travels around the globe are also part of the royal’s enduring legacy.

Queen Victoria was an artist and writer

Queen Victoria was an artist and writer
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Painting, drawing, and writing were among the many artistic passions that Victoria pursued throughout her lifetime. She filled notebooks with sketches and illustrations of family members and places of interest, and accumulated 120 handwritten diaries.

Queen Victoria’s gift to the White House is still in use

Queen Victoria’s gift to the White House is still in use
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What do former American president Barack Obama and Queen Victoria have in common? A sturdy oak desk. In 1880, Victoria gave US president, Rutherford Hayes a unique gift ­– a desk crafted from the timbers of a retired British ship, the H.M.S. Resolute. Since its arrival at the White House, the Resolute desk has seen many American presidents including John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and now Donald Trump work at and greet visitors and staff alike.

She witnessed many technological firsts

She witnessed many technological firsts
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The ‘Victorian era’ may sound like ancient history, but Queen Victoria lived into the twentieth century, dying at the age of 81 in 1901. She was the first British monarch to travel on a train, use electric lights and a telephone.

Some theorists suspect that Queen Victoria’s grandson was Jack the Ripper

Some theorists suspect that Queen Victoria’s grandson was Jack the Ripper
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In 1970, a British physician named Thomas Stowell wrote an article speculating that Queen Victoria’s grandson, Prince Albert Victor, was in fact Jack the Ripper – the legendary serial killer who terrorised London and brutally murdered five women in 1888. Many historians have since discounted the physician’s theories, citing a lack of convincing evidence.

Along with Jack the Ripper, here are more iconic figures whose identities remain a mystery.

She was a carrier of haemophilia

She was a carrier of haemophilia
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Queen Victoria carried a gene mutation for haemophilia, a rare disorder in which blood doesn’t clot as it normally should, leading sufferers to bleed excessively from even the smallest of cuts. The queen passed on the disease to three of her children, including son Leopold, who at age 30, haemorrhaged to death after a fall.

Here are the reasons why everyone should know their blood type.

Queen Victoria’s coronet is one of Britain’s most impressive crown jewels

Queen Victoria’s coronet is one of Britain’s most impressive crown jewels
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Diamonds – and sapphires – are a girl’s best friend. Or at least that’s what Prince Albert figured when he commissioned a coronet to present to Victoria as a gift after two years of marriage. Easily one of the most beautiful pieces of jewellery in the royal collection, the stunning tiara boasts countless diamonds and no fewer than 11 sapphires.

She had a real impact on British society – and the world

She had a real impact on British society – and the world
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Queen Victoria helped prevent a Franco-German war in 1875, and led the British Empire to global supremacy. On the home front, she championed acts that made it possible for more people to vote, as well as legislation that increased wages for the working class. She was also responsible for restoring the royal family’s public role, giving her patronage to more than 150 institutions, including the armed forces, museums, and educational organisations. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert redefined what it meant to be royal, and their charitable legacy lives on in the works of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, and Prince William.

The recent ITV/PBS Victoria mini-series isn’t 100% accurate

The recent ITV/PBS Victoria mini-series isn’t 100% accurate
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Did an 18-year-old Victoria really propose to a swoon-worthy Prime Minister Lord Melbourne? Did scheming stewards actually make an attempt to disrupt a royal ball? Although these tales certainly made for entertaining television in the recent ITV/PBS production of Victoria, they’re likely more fiction than fact. Historians have pointed out that Lord Melbourne would have been 60 years old, overweight, and likely much more of a father figure than a potential love interest for the young queen.

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