The First Victoria to Flower
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 Anne, daughter of Sir Joseph Paxton on a Victoria leaf.
London Illustrated News
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In July 1849 Joseph Paxton made an arrangement to obtain a plant of the giant Victoria waterlily from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew London. On 3rd August, on his forty-sixth birthday, he collected a young plant from Kew for his glasshouse at Chatsworth, Derbyshire, the home of the sixth Duke of Devonshire.
He arrived at Kew at 6a.m. and supervised the packing of the young plant. There were four leaves the largest of which it is recorded were 5½ inches across. Paxton noted that he arrived at Euston Station and was on an express train heading north by 9am. "in order that the plant should feel the removal as little as possible."
Garden staff had already made preparations to receive the plant, having readied a 12ft square heated tank with five cart loads of soil. The plant quickly became established and grew at a remarkable rate. Paxton had never experienced anything to compare with it. In a letter dated 1st October 1849, Paxton wrote to the Duke, who was in Ireland. "We have been obliged to make the tank for the Victoria as large again as when your Grace saw it. One leaf this morning measures four feet across. Nothing can exceed its health and vigour .….."
Two weeks later he reported again to the Duke. "Victoria has reached four feet five inches across, which is the most that it will attain this season ….. ." Paxton also reported that the Victoria at Kew had not increased in size at all. On 2nd November Paxton wrote again "Victoria has shewn flower! An enormous bud like a huge poppy head made its appearance yesterday morning and by this evening it looks like a large peach placed in a cup. ….. As this noble plant bears the Queen’s name I think your Grace may wish to send the first flower with a large leaf to Her Majesty."
The first flowering of Victoria in cultivation took place from 8-10th November. In a letter to Sir William Hooker at Kew, Paxton reported "Victoria regia is now in flower at Chatsworth, and will continue I should think for a fortnight or three weeks ….. We have leaves nearly five feet in diameter and at this time are thirteen leaves upon the plant."
On Wednesday 14th November Paxton and one of his colleagues, Andrew Stewart, set off with a flower and a leaf of the Victoria, heading for Windsor, a residence of Queen Victoria. It was here that a presentation of both leaf and flower were made to the Queen. They returned home on the Friday 16th November. On the 17th the Duke of Devonshire arrived from Ireland and noted "Came here by express train at two o’clock to see the giant waterlily Victoria regia - it is stupendous. Found Dr. Lindley and Mr Curry with Paxton. It was at this time that Paxton arranged for his daughter Annie to stand on one of the Victoria leaves. This created a great media stir, the illustration that appeared in the London Illustrated News becoming almost legendary in the history of the introduction of the Victoria into cultivation. Paxton noted in a letter to his wife who was staying in Brighton. "Anne is quite proud at being placed upon the leaf. She was put on by Lady Newburgh and the Duke." Anne was dressed as a fairy for the occasion, the excursion resulting in a verse about the event being published in the satirical magazine Punch.
Towards the end of November Paxton wrote to his wife "Here we are in as great a worl about Victoria as ever. We expect Lord Carlisle tomorrow and then the curtain I believe will drop. We have two artists Mr Bartholemew and Mr Holdin drawing away at it, Holdin sat up until half past two this morning ………. You will have seen the Gardener’s Chronicle which I told you to get. There is a very good description of the plant there………..
Thus concludes the story of the flowering of one of the most remarkable plants to ever be brought into cultivation.
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