The Victorian era of the England history was the reigning period of the Queen Victoria. This was the period 1837 to 1901. This was an extensive period of prosperity, peace, refined responsiveness and great national self-possession for England. But even this era could not survive itself from the social class system.
Victorian England social hierarchy demonstrates the social class system and the social divisions of England people on certain terms and conditions in a pre-defined specific ladder of pattern. But there were some changes in social class system during this era as compared to the traditional social class system of England. For an example the aristocrat class got changed to upper class. Some of the increasingly powerful upper middle class categories secured their places in this upper class.
There was almost a negligible change in the lower class though and this class still remained shut from the royal England’s political processes. The Victorian England social hierarchy is described below in a descending order pattern means starting with the uppermost power holder social class and going on further describing all the classes in brief.
The Upper Class
This was the highest social class of the Victorian England social hierarchy. The people under this class did not work manually. Their income normally came from the investments made by them or from the inherited lands. Their routine work was fulfilled by the lower class people. This class further got sub divided in three parts as below –
- Royal Class – This include people from royal family and the spiritual lords of that time.
- Middle Upper Class – This class include great officers of the England, the baronets along with temporal lords.
- Lower Upper Class – This class include country wealthy gentleman and large scale business men who had made their way with the immense wealth they possessed.
The Middle Class
These were the people who used to work meaning they had jobs to do. They made their living from the salaries they got according to the job done. This class included the following sub-classes.
- Higher Level Middle Class – These were high in terms of salaries and social status as compared to lower middle class.
- Lower Level Middle Class – These were the people who worked on the orders of the higher level middle class people.
The Working Class
These were the group of labors which further got sub divided into two divisions.
- Skilled Class – They had unskilled labors working under their supervision.
- Unskilled Class – They were lowest category labor people.
The Under Class
This class was incorporated in England’s social system during Victorian era. These were sort of helpless people who depended on others.
- The Poor – These were poor people and orphans who relied on the charity of others.
- The Prostitutes – These women were at the bottom of the society and an enormous debate took place over them during the Victorian era.
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