Queen Victoria Was Both Sexless And Humorless
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The Reality: Queen Victoria dearly loved her husband, Prince Albert. Her diary even details her wedding night with great enthusiasm. Their union was so passionate and productive, in fact, that Victoria bore nine children over the course of their 21-year marriage. Not only did she seem to enjoy physical intimacy, but she also had a sense of humor - her grandmother even described her as a "comical, precocious clown."
Why The Myth: Popular imaginings of Queen Victoria as a dour, humorless figure most likely stem from her later years. When her beloved Prince Albert passed unexpectedly in 1861, she was consumed by grief and mourned him for the rest of her days, wearing only black clothing until her passing forty years later. Her role as the queen of a relatively moralistic nation and as a champion of family values aided her association with prudishness. Though she is credited with quipping "we are not amused" in response to a risque story, she later told her granddaughter that she never spoke those infamous words.