Queen Victoria reigned over Britain for 63 years while Lady Bracknell reigned over the characters in the play "The Importance of Being Earnest," by Oscar Wilde. Both from the same place and time the women have many similarities but also have a few differences. The character Lady Bracknell from Oscar Wilde’s play The Importance of Being Earnest can easily be compared and contrasted with Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria was just eight months old when her father passed away. Victorias mother raised her in Kensington Palace with the help of German governesses, private English tutors, and the duchess’s brother, Leopold. Growing up Victoria was well educated. She had to study to speak and write in German and French as well as she knew English. She was also taught literature, history, geography and the Bible. She was even given other lessons such as singing, the piano and painting; which was a hobby she enjoyed and carried out until she was much older. She continued to study until she took several summer tours through England and Wales, at the behest of her Mother. Then, once her uncle King William IV died June 20th 1837 she took the throne at age 18 (Arnstein). In the nineteenth century Britain was a constitutional monarchy where the king or queen was the head of state who was expected to rule like a prime minister or just the head of government. He/she had members of their cabinet serving as heads of administrative departments. There was also a required support of the United Kingdom Parliament, made up of an elected House of Commons and a hereditary House of Lords. Queen Victoria learned all of this and how the government worked by meeting with William Lamb, second viscount Melbourne, Britain's prime minister at the time; the two became very close. With Lamb leading the Whig party (later known as Liberal) Queen Victoria was also associated with that party. Victoria’s first years as queen did consist of many government related activities but also of parties and balls where there were eligible b