WHEN A SPIRITUALIST HEADED THE WORLD’S BIGGEST EMPIRE!

      

By Stephen William

WHEN A SPIRITUALIST HEADED THE WORLD’S BIGGEST EMPIRE! By Stephen William. He is a British based Medium and Healer and Author of “Nostradamus His Prophecy Finally Explained.” Available on Kindle now. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B098LS5PM7/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MBDF06G549ZKJ6XFKMCJ   QUEEN VICTORIA WITH HER HUSBAND AND CONSORT PRINCE ALBERT. THEY CONSULTED SPIRITUAL MEDIUMS ON A REGULAR BASIS.   Queen Victoria (1819-1901) was the Queen of  Great Britain and the British Empire  from 1837 to 1901. Her 63-year long reign was due to the fact she inherited her Crown on the death of her uncle King William IV, at the age of 18. He had no legitimate children to inherit the Kingdom or its growing Empire so Victoria his niece became Queen. It grew to be the biggest Empire in the world during her reign. In fact it covered over a quarter  of the world’s landmass. To modern people, one small country dominating such a large area of the world seems bizarre and unjust. However, at  that time many European countries had overseas empires. France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands (Holland), Belgium, Germany, Denmark and Russia all had non-European colonies, because they all wanted foodstuffs and materials which were not available in their countries. This is not a justification of imperialism, but just a statement of the European national mindsets of that time nearly two centuries ago. Fortunately that era has come to an end. However what may be a surprise to you ,as it was to me when I discovered the following information, that Queen Victoria ,who was the symbolic  head  of the largest empire of all was a dedicated spiritualist!   Before I go any further I should explain what Queen Victoria’s position actually was. Great Britain was and  is a constitutional monarchy, This means the King (or Queen) is the Head of State but their powers are limited by law and convention, with the real governing power held by an elected Parliament and Government. The monarch remains politically neutral, performs ceremonial duties, appoints the Prime Minister (who commands the Commons part of the Parliament), opens Parliament, and gives Royal Assent  to voted for laws, while having private meetings with the Prime Minster to advise, warn, and encourage, but not dictate policy. This is  similar to other European democratic kingdoms such as the Scandinavian countries. However the British monarch is also the Head of the national church, the Church of England. This  Protestant Church is the founder Church of the world- wide- Anglican Communion . As in common with other conventional Christian churches , it officially  disapproves of direct spiritual contact with the deceased! Therefore to have a spiritualist as its Supreme Governor (the monarch’s official Church of England position) was believed to be potentially scandalous and was suppressed from the general public of the time as much as possible! Queen Victoria consulted spiritual mediums and participated in séances, particularly after the death of her husband, Prince Albert, in 1861, driven by a desire to communicate with him. She held séances at Osborne House and Windsor Castle, engaging with mediums like Robert James Lees and reportedly relying on her servant John Brown to facilitate communication. Victoria's interest in the supernatural began well before1861, with records suggesting she and Albert attended séances as early as 1846, including one with the famous clairvoyant of the time, Georgina Eagle.    THE WATCH PRESENTED BY QUEEN VICTORIA TO GEORGINA EAGLE FOR HER CLAIRVOYANCE. THE FIRST SMALLER IMAGE SHOWS THE DIAL, THE SECOND LARGER SHOWS THE REVERSE OF THE WATCH WITH THE INSCRIPTION RECORDING THE EVENT.  Following Albert's death in 1861, the  then 13-year-old, medium Robert James Lees claimed to pass a message from Albert to the Queen, leading to him being invited to perform séances at Buckingham Palace. Séances were also often held in private, such as in the Horn Room in Osborne House the royal residence on the Isle of Wight  and while official records are scarce, evidence suggests these, along with the influence of John Brown ,her Scottish personal servant provided her comfort in her mourning. Apparently,  Robert James Lees, actually recommended John Brown to the Queen after she asked Lees to be her resident medium. Lees claimed that Albert’s spirit had chosen Brown to communicate through. ROBERT JAMES LEES AS AN ADULT. HE WAS THE MEDIUM WHO SUGGESTED TO QUEEN VICTORIA THAT HER SERVANT JOHN BROWN COULD CONTACT THE SPIRIT OF PRINCE ALBERT REGULARLY.      Some sources suggest that because Brown was a Highlander, it was believed he possessed the "Second Sight" (a form of clairvoyance), making it easier for contemporaries to accept him as a spiritualist medium. The Highland tradition of "second sight" (da-shealladh or taibhsearachd in Gaelic) is a form of involuntary extrasensory perception, traditionally viewed as a burden or curse rather than a gift, allowing individuals to perceive future events, usually deaths, funerals, or disasters, before they occurred. It differs from normal clairvoyance in that visions are often sudden, unavoidable, and deeply unsettling. However as with many mediums, he may well have developed his abilities as his life progressed.  ONE OF MANY PICTURES OF QUEEN VICTORIA AND HER CLOSE FRIEND AND SERVANT JOHN BROWN WITH HIM WEARING TRADITIONAL HIGHLAND CLOTHING. While many historians focus on their close, and possibly romantic, relationship as, respectively, Queen and servant, the idea that Brown operated as a medium for the Queen was a strong, persistent rumour and a key part of her unconventional mourning. Brown was famously blunt and often spoke to the Queen in a way others wouldn't dare such as calling her "wumman" and scolding her for not holding her head up or for her choice of clothing. While this "abrasive" nature was his standard personality, it was interpreted as devotion and honesty rather than annoyance. Some modern interpretations suggest Victoria may have viewed Brown as a "carrier of Albert's soul," which could explain her intense attachment to him. Upon his death, she described him as her "beloved friend" and "the best, truest heart that ever beat".    King Edward VII (Queen Victoria’s son)  ordered the destruction of many papers, journals, and mementos relating to John Brown after Queen Victoria’s death,  This was driven by a desire to protect the reputation of the monarchy and his mother and may have been because Brown was a medium as well as her suspected lover. The  destruction of the documents etc, was also motivated by an intense personal dislike of Brown, his jealousy of Brown's influence and the desire to erase evidence of an intensely close and potentially scandalous, relationship. Victoria was nicknamed “Mrs Brown” in some informed circles because of her emotional closeness to John Brown! If there was suggestion that she was not following the teachings of the Church she was head of as well, it may have put the future of the monarchy at risk as well.   So why was Queen Victoria so attracted to Spiritualism at an early age? Well despite being a non-political figurehead monarch, Queen Victoria was exceptionally well-educated through a strict, tailored curriculum designed to prepare her for the Throne. She was tutored at home in history, geography, languages (fluent in German, English, French and some Italian and Latin), music, and art. She was highly intelligent, a skilled artist, and a prolific writer. On top of this she was living in the new Age of Reason. Scientific discoveries were challenging the Biblical Creation origin and as head of an empire which spanned many religions she may have wondered if there was Universal Truth that united them all or whether all religions were actually mythical, despite their useful philosophies and teachings. Spiritualism would have not only have given her proof of a spiritual dimension to life , but also proof of the Afterlife. Therefore this would have strengthened her resolve in her conventional religious duties.   Perhaps she was also left wondering by her predecessors as Supreme Governor of the Church of England ,her uncles King George IV and the afore mentioned King William IV  who both led scandalous lives of  heavy drinking , sexual excess and other questionable behaviour. Did they not believe in a spiritual dimension to life? And if not , why not? Perhaps they did not have enough proof of a divine realm and thought they could live immoral lives despite being heads of a Christian Church? Victoria herself though led a fairly restrained life  compared to them, so perhaps her certainty of a spiritual realm, convinced her to lead a more non- materialistic life? As my article some months ago on President Lincoln’s spiritualist activities in the 1860s illustrated, in that era many prominent figures in the world had turned to spiritualism to confirm the existence of an Afterlife.     NELLIE COLBURN MAYNARD ONE OF THE MEDIUMS CONSULTED BY ABRAHAM LINCOLN FOR CONTACT WITH HIS DECEASED SON WROTE A BOOK ABOUT HER EXPERIENCES WITH THE PRESIDENT IN THE 1860s. THIS WAS THE SAME TIME AS VICTORIA WAS CONTACTING HER DECEASED HUSBAND.   Turning to our era, some members of the British Royal Family still appear to need confirmation of a spiritual dimension to life , In his memoir book “Spare”, Prince Harry revealed that he consulted a woman with "powers" (a medium) to receive messages from his late mother, Princess Diana. Princess Diana frequently used spiritual mediums for guidance, particularly during her marital struggles. Notable mediumistic figures she consulted included Sally Morgan, Rita Rogers, and Simone Simmons. Apparently  in 1953,  Queen Elizabeth II attended a séance with a medium named Lilian Bailey, in an attempt to connect with her recently deceased father, King George VI .She was also accompanied by the Queen Mother (George VI’s widow), Princess Margaret her sister and Prince Philip her husband at that 1953 séance.  These consultations have often been driven by intense grief or a search for comfort, with some other members of the royal family having a well-documented fascination with the paranormal and spiritual world. The current King Charles III, has been described as a “spiritual seeker” and has been in contact with various mystical people throughout his life, despite his new position as head of the Church of England. Perhaps , his brother the former Prince Andrew, who has never been reported as having any particular spiritual interests, would not be in such disgrace, if he had led a more spiritually focussed life?    In addition to royalty many modern high- profile politicians are known to have consulted with mystics of various types for advice. A cynic may say that the fact that they seek to conceal these activities shows they do not really believe in them and find it embarrassing to have it known. I look at it from a different perspective. It signifies that they know there is an existence  greater than our physical existence and connection with it brings comfort and strength when they are under pressure and stress. Perhaps we are now finally heading towards a more mystical future as an antidote to our materialistic world?    Around 25%  of the British population has consulted a psychic or spiritual medium according to a British Government survey. This research estimates that roughly 10% of the UK adult population visits a medium regularly. The research also shows that there is growing mystical interest amongst younger people. Approximately one in five (20%–22%) American adults have consulted a psychic or medium at some point in their life. .Perhaps  world leaders are just reflecting the growing spiritual revolution in the world’s population?     ©Stephen William International Copyright. If you wish to read my book, it is available on this link at Amazon. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B098LS5PM7/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MBDF06G549ZKJ6XFKMCJ.