Struggling to Remain Seated

When Queen Victoria first took the throne, she attended a performance of Handel's Messiah, a customary event for royalty. Advised on proper etiquette, she was informed that she should not stand during the Hallelujah Chorus.

However, as the powerful chorus filled the air with "Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth," she struggled to remain seated. When the moment arrived in the chorus where Jesus is proclaimed as King of kings, the young queen could no longer contain herself. She rose, bowing her head as if to take off her crown and lay…