Oddly, Queen Victoria had some ideas which were greatly ahead of her [time], despite her [conservatism]. For example, in the arena of royal [marriage], she wrote as early as the [1870's] that she saw no reason why a [prince] or [princess] could not marry someone of inferior [rank]. She even went so far as to accord the [morganatic] wives of princes the royal status they were denied in [Germany], where royal rules were stricter.

It was in [religion] that Victoria was the most [progressive]. She did not believe in [Satan] or [hell], attributing them to the posturing of the [clergy]. She also constantly criticized the [British] [aristocracy]'s fear of [Catholicism], calling it insulting to the "many good Roman Catholics" (quoted in Longford). Furthermore, she was quick to recognize the [value|values] and [truth|truths] of [Islam] and [Hinduism]. When the [Crown] took over rule of [India] in the [1850's] it was primarily through her ([unconstitutional]) [intervention] that [freedom of worship] was guaranteed to Hindus and Muslims.

Victoria was also strongly opposed to [racism]. She fumed that her ([white]) British [officer]s and [soldier]s refused to serve alongside [African|Africans] and [Indian|Indians]. She is said to have trashed her office when the [Court] refused to accept the presence of the [Munshi], her Indian servant. (Although it is not clear whether the Court's objections were racist, the Queen certainly thought they were.)

One area in which the Queen was notably conservative was on the question of women and the [vote]. She remained opposed to female [physician|doctors], except in [obstetrics], and was opposed to female [suffrage]. It is the privilege of a woman in power to believe that women should obey men.

Victoria (person)