Characters

The main characters of the short story “Jubilee” by Carys Davies are Arthur Pritt and Queen Victoria. Arthur Pritt is a town alderman responsible for hosting the celebration of Queen Victoria’s jubilee. He is still grieving the loss of his wife, who has left him for a woman.

During their short interaction, Arthur assumes that he and the Queen are alike, but discovers that this is not the case. He views the Queen as someone who is sad, lonely, and grieving the loss of her spouse just like he is. However, the Queen rather seems to be lonely because everyone maintains a formal distance from her because of her status. 

You can read a detailed characterization of Arthur Pritt and Queen Victoria on the following pages.