1819–1901 · Rulers

Queen Victoria signature

Queen of the United Kingdom from 1837 and Empress of India from 1876 (1819–1901)

Inspired by Queen Victoria’s signature

A rendering in a modern handwriting font, made for this page. It is not the real signature; see where to view the original below. Where to see the original ↓Style: Parisienne, slant 12°

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Parisienne · 12°

Who Queen Victoria was

Victoria (1819–1901) became queen in 1837 at the age of 18 and reigned for more than 63 years, longer than any British monarch before her. She married her cousin Prince Albert in 1840; their nine children married into royal families across Europe.

The story of the signature

Victoria signed state papers “Victoria R”, R for Regina. After the Royal Titles Act of 1876 made her Empress of India, she added a second letter and signed “Victoria R I”, for Regina Imperatrix, queen and empress.

She was a tireless writer. She kept a journal from the age of thirteen until shortly before her death and wrote thousands of letters to her children, ministers and fellow monarchs. After she died, her youngest daughter, Princess Beatrice, transcribed the journals, editing as she went, and destroyed most of the originals.

In her later years she studied Hindustani with her Indian secretary Abdul Karim, and her name written in Urdu script survives alongside her English signatures.

What makes it distinctive

R, then R I

One title letter until 1876, two afterwards: the signature records a change in her title.

A pronounced slant

Her handwriting leans well to the right, giving the signature its forward movement.

Emphasis by underlining

Her letters are known for words underlined for emphasis, sometimes more than once.

How to give your signature a similar feel

Parisienne on the Type tab of the signature generator has the wide, relaxed movement of a nineteenth-century hand. Set Slant to around 12° for her forward lean.
A single underline suits this style. On the Draw tab, finish your name and draw one confident stroke beneath it.
Monarchs sign with a first name alone, but most legal documents need your full name, so keep a full-name version as well.
Try dark blue or royal blue ink for personal letters and black for official forms.

Where to see the original

These links lead to archives, libraries, museums and Wikimedia Commons.

Questions about Queen Victoria’s signature

What does “Victoria R I” mean?

Victoria Regina Imperatrix: Victoria, Queen and Empress. She used it after becoming Empress of India in 1876.

Why did Queen Victoria sign with only her first name?

British monarchs sign with their regnal name and a title letter, not a surname. It is the same convention as Elizabeth I’s “Elizabeth R”.

Did Queen Victoria learn an Indian language?

Yes. She took lessons in Hindustani from Abdul Karim beginning in the late 1880s, and an example of her name in Urdu script survives.