Merry Christmas from New Zealand as I am in the Christmas summer season. Beautiful Pohuakawa (know for Christmas tree in New Zealand) tree at the beaches around New Zealand.

A short, reflecting moment in Victorian times.

William Agnew

William Agnew, who was deaf and raised in Glasgow, Scotland, where he learnt to sign language and fingerspelling (BSL).

How did Queen Victoria know to do sign language and why she is communicating in sign language?

Her daughter in law – Princess Alexandra (Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia, or “Alix”) who married Prince Edward VI (later Albert Edward), the son of Queen Victoria. Princess Alexandra later became Queen of Denmark. Her parents were Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Glücksburg and Louise of Hesse-Kassel. Princess Alexandra’s mother – Louise became deaf in the later times due to hereditary otosclerosis and this hereditary otosclerosis passed onto Princess Alexandra. She became deaf in 1867 after a severe illness. Princess Alexandra learnt to sign language including fingerspelling and some of the royal family including Queen Victoria communicated with her.

Then we have Prince Phillip’s mother Princess Alice of Battenberg. Yes, there are several Royal family who has or had deaf/Hard of Hearing.