Difference between Edwardian and Victorian
British history cannot be considered complete without mentioning its two most important eras; the Edwardian era and the Victorian era. The monarchy in the Edwardian and Victorian eras played a vital role in almost every domain of life, including architecture, fashion, art, and culture.
People get confused when attempting to differentiate between these two eras in British history, because of the close relationship between Queen Victoria and her son King Edward VII. There is a visible overlapping in many aspects of life in these two successive periods. However, there are many sharp differences as well, that distinguish these eras from each other.
The Victorian era lasted for more than six decades, from 1837 to 1901, during which Queen Victoria ruled the British Empire and left a strong impact on every field of life. On the contrary, the Edwardian era lasted for just 10 years, from 1901 to 1910, as the King died in 1910.
In the Victorian era, the English society was generally very conservative, and traditional thinking was prevalent in the society. On the other hand, while the Edwardian era was also marked by hints of conservative thinking, it was a time when the society started to adopt many new practices, indicating a change in trends and patterns of thinking.
In the Victorian period, the authority and haughtiness of the court was quite visible, but its impact was greatly reduced in the Edwardian period. The clothing of women was long and tight in the Victorian era, whereas the Edwardian era gave a more feminine touch to women’s dresses, by giving the clothes an hourglass shape. Many inventions came forth in the Victorian era, but it was the Edwardian era that took full advantage of these inventions, and had a huge impact on almost every region of the Empire.
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Victorian Era:
The Victorian era started in 1837 when Queen Victoria became the ruler and ended in 1901 with her rule. In the Victorian era, many new things happened that had never occurred before, like the invention of the light bulb, automobile, telephone, and sewing machine. The passion for new scientific discoveries started to pick up pace. People also started to turn towards nature, and that had a very good impact on the literature of the Victorian period. The folks in the Victorian era started to realise their social rights and responsibilities, and many bad practices like slavery were abolished. However, this period was also marked by traditional prudishness and formality, especially during royal events.
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Edwardian Era:
The Edwardian era started in 1901 when Edward VII, son of Queen Victoria, became the ruler. However, he could not rule for a long period of time, and died in 1910. However, in this brief period, he set new trends in society and had a huge impact on art and culture. In the Edwardian era, elements of formality and royal haughtiness were greatly diminished. Social equality campaigns gained significant momentum and downtrodden people were treated with growing consideration. The Edwardian era utilised the inventions of the previous period to maximum effect.
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