The Tragic Tale of Lady Flora Hastings: The Scandal That Shocked Victorian Society

Discover the scandalous life of Lady Flora Hastings, mistrusted by Queen Victoria herself.
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[@HistoryRoadshow]

Timestamps! 0:00 Intro 1:20 Suspicion 3:01 Taboo 4:34 Examination 6:15 Scandal 8:00 Vindicated 9:45 Nightmare Thank you for watching my latest video 🙏🏻 Did you miss this? The Shameful Barbara Palmer Queen without a Crown kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHXVlGWMo9Gpm9U See you again soon, Jon 🤴🏻

[@BTScriviner]

Poor Flora. proof that gossip destroys lives. I know Victoria is considered one of Great Britain's greatest monatchs, but the more I read about her (especially how she treated her children), the more I think she was a terrible person.

[@HistoryRoadshow]

It's a tough call as we don't really know what info she was fed to make these choices. But she came through it which is credit to her. Thanks BL 😊

[@vickiewallace415]

I’m fairly certain that you aren’t wrong! Also, she was raised in horrid situations so I doubt that anyone ever taught her to be a decent person. Keeping in mind that wearing a black for the better part of one’s life although very romantic is not exactly what I would call the poster child for mental health.

[@jamiemohan2049]

She is an adult and needs to be held accountable. She didnt have the best childhood. That didnt excuse her for the way she treated her children and others. She was not a nice woman. She is interesting and her character is complex. But yeah she wasnt the best. Very narcissistic. Doesnt matter who she was listening too. She was the monarch and a grown woman. Not a maternal mother at all. But again still an interesting person. Wanted to outlive her son, openly hated him. Called another daughter a cow for breastfeeding. Was openly critical of her childrens appearances. Told another daughter who lost her son to get over it. That losing a husband was worse then losing a child. Was possesive and manipulative of her daughters. Forced Louise and Leopold to be seperated. Tried to isolate Leopold and Beatrice so they would stay with her. Punished then over silly reasson. She made everything about her. When Albert died she took mourning to the extreme. When one of her sons smiled four years after Albert's death she told him to stop. That it was disrespectful to his father. She wasnt the most positive person She thought many of her grandchildren were ugly, mainly Edwards. Interestingly enough when Alice (Victoria's daughter) died, she took good care of Alice's children and was maternal to them. She is very complex I am both disapproving and entertained by her.

[@faithhope2337]

@@jamiemohan2049 THANK YOU!! I’m so glad someone said it! You are Absolutely Correct, She may have been Queen but she was NOT a woman to be admired and praised. She was a Horrible mother and terribly narcissistic and manipulative. I couldn’t say it better than you Have and it truly annoys me how people use her upbringing as an excuse for how she chose to behave as a grown woman more than capable of making up her mind and Victoria needs to be held accountable. People will also argue that Times were different and she was only acting as a woman of her period. I agree that Victoria was a complex and fascinating woman but she’s not one to be known as a great Queen, Being a queen doesn’t make you great, it’s how you treat others and how Victoria treated not only Lady Flora, but Her OWN children is appalling, it says all you need about her character in my opinion. It truly Irks me how so many Movies and Tv series based on her life are romanticised, hell even Historians that aren’t making historical fiction never address Her wrongdoings, They fail to mention that in Ireland she’s known as “The Famine Queen”. So tell me what makes her great?

[@monicacall7532]

I completely agree with you about Victoria. She was a real piece of work. Perhaps she was willing to think the worst of Flora because Flora was a friend of her mother and the odious Conroy. Guilt by association is always nasty. Even though Victoria expressed horror when it was discovered that Flora wasn’t pregnant but was dying of a huge tumor I wonder if she ever felt remorse for starting character ruining rumors about Flora or if she was more concerned that she’d been caught out being a total jerk.

[@simon112]

A sad tale in many ways, a beautiful young woman was forced to undergo a medical examination to prove she was not with child, she died far to young, her family fought to give her back the honour and dignity flora deserved, thank you Jon superbly told with sympathy.

[@HistoryRoadshow]

Thanks as always Simon, you're quite right things could and should have been handled differently! 😊

[@taestyinbusan3163]

Queen Victoria wasn't the paragon people think. No monarch ever is. But the toxicity of her court literally killed this woman. The time spent fighting for her good name could have been spent in treatment, and could have possibly saved her life. Very sad.

[@wildsquirrelswildsquirrel7286]

Unfortunately, Lady Flora Hastings had liver cancer. In the 1840's, cancer is fatal & modern 20th/21st century medicine such as chemotherapy to immunotherapy to radiation treatments was not available in queen Victoria's time.

[@taestyinbusan3163]

@@wildsquirrelswildsquirrel7286 I understand all that but my point is still valid. All the energy spent fighting against the vile and false rumors could have been better spent.

[@BlindingDarkness1111]

Interesting how morality is such a two-edged sword...well done, thank you!

[@HistoryRoadshow]

Glad you enjoyed it, appreciate you watching 😊

[@Lisette777]

This is what comes of jumping to conclusions. What a shame. That poor lady Flora...

[@janetpugliesi3203]

Your presentation of this incident is wonderful 😊. I feel it was something that did haunt her in the long run for she realized how quick she was to come to judge someone and how her judgements and actions related to those judgements caused this woman such great harm...It had to humble her spirit....

[@HistoryRoadshow]

Thank you Janet much appreciated 😊

[@catherinepositano8544]

This is a FABULOUS channel!...and you're a super narrator Jon..Easy to listen to...Thankyou!🇦🇺

[@HistoryRoadshow]

Thank you Catherine 😊

[@sirwelch9991]

The mishap with Lady Flora was close to hindering Queen Victoria's image but was resolved with poise. As your videos always reveal there is more than the popularised version. However, the series Victoria depicts it as something more scathing. Also via another line, Lady Flora was descended from George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence making her a very distant cousin to Victoria.

[@HistoryRoadshow]

Thanks as always Sir 😊

[@sirwelch9991]

@@HistoryRoadshow You're Welcome.

[@charlesgervin714]

Wow! Thank you for elucidating the circumstances around this scandal!

[@cassandraralph5906]

One of the many mistakes that Queen Victoria made, which tarnished her character, and by extention, her reign. I can see why the late Queen Elizabeth made very sure to avoid scandals, like the plague.......until Prince Charles became an adult, and then got married to Lady Diana Spencer, and we all know what happened after that, don't we?! Although I was lead to believe that Lady Flora Hastings died of uterine cancer, courtesy of the "Victoria" TV series. Thank you for your excellent work again. 👏

[@HistoryRoadshow]

Appreciate you watching as always Cassandra, thank you 😊

[@chykim1]

Ok so this actually happened? wow!! I've watched Victoria on PBS, great show and another great video ♥️♥️♥️

[@HistoryRoadshow]

Thank you Kim 😊

[@Shane-Flanagan]

Yeah the TV series Victoria is where I too first saw this situation of events depicted

[@einezcrespo2107]

@@Shane-Flanagan Love the series but season 3 got too soap opera-ish.

[@maryannbernal]

Interesting and informative. Love this channel.

[@HistoryRoadshow]

Thanks Mary Ann 😊

[@funnytime13]

Ah yes! Thank you again for excellant history lessons Jon!

[@HistoryRoadshow]

Thanks Cheryl 😊

[@Shane-Flanagan]

Thanks Jon for this interesting video featuring the unfortunate Flora Hastings. Very tastfully presented 👏 Whatever about Victoria's judgement and actions, I see Conroy as the real villain here with his campaign to control and slander the young Queen. Flora as you say got caught in the crossfire. Luckily for Victoria she managed to regain the love and trust of the people and went on to have a long and successful reign. But yes, the memory of Flora and what occurred I'm sure stayed with her.

[@HistoryRoadshow]

Spot on Shane, Conroy and Victoria's mother scheming to hold control luckily Victoria saw through the fog and placed them apart when coming to power. Thanks 😊

[@laurel237]

Jon, your work is impeccable. Thank you!

[@HistoryRoadshow]

Very kind Laurel, thank you 😊

[@einezcrespo2107]

Queen Victoria regretted the situation with Flora Hastings for the rest of her life.

[@m.f.richardson1602]

Always interesting. Thank you Peace 💕🇺🇲

[@HistoryRoadshow]

Thanks for watching 😊

[@annfisher3316]

Mean Girls 1839 😔

[@ABeautfulMess]

I'm beginning to think Queen V was a jerk..

[@michellemyner5650]

Words can and hurt

[@januaryo]

You should make a biography on Marie Antoinette!

[@HistoryRoadshow]

She's on the list Jonathon 😊

[@Anita-rq9ev]

Hello Jon👋. Catching up a bit later on this video as I'm travelling around Apulia at the moment. Never heard of her before, but always interested in learning something new. Best wishes and thank you for sharing 🙏

[@HistoryRoadshow]

Enjoy your trip Anita 😊

[@Anita-rq9ev]

@@HistoryRoadshow thank you Jon

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Victoria certainly created a mess here… Isn’t the Hastings line the line which is claimed to be the ‘true’ royal British dynasty according to Tony Robinson ?

[@vickiewallace415]

Oh Thank the KZbin gods….a new cool history channel!!!

[@HistoryRoadshow]

Thank you Vickie 😊

[@LyricalXilence]

Oh that poor woman.

[@yesterdayschunda1760]

Lady Flora was the rightful Princess of Britain at the time which really puts this all into context.

[@janedee6488]

Great presentation of this distressing story. Queen Victoria acted horribly.

[@HistoryRoadshow]

Thanks Jane, it was certainly a troubling time for all, more so for the young Flora 😊

[@colleenlally-ross7105]

So sad that only one person bares the shame of unmarried sex for which it takes 2!

[@januaryo]

Woah

[@floriatosca9652]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@HistoryRoadshow]

Thanks Floria 😊

[@scallopohare9431]

Betcha Flora was poisoned.

[@neilpatterson1615]

The Hastings family were English not French