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The Queen Victoria
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The Queen Victoria (often referred to as The Vic or The Queen Vic) is the fictional Victorian public house in the popular BBC soap opera, EastEnders. It has the fictional address of 46 Albert Square, Walford, London E20.
In the show's story, the Square was built during the reign of Queen Victoria. Originally, the pub was to be called The Balmoral, but upon the death of Prince Albert, it was re-named as a tribute to the mourning Queen.
As originally seen in the series, the exterior was brown.
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Encyclopedia
The Queen Victoria (often referred to as The Vic or The Queen Vic) is the fictional Victorian public house in the popular BBC soap opera, EastEnders. It has the fictional address of 46 Albert Square, Walford, London E20.
In the show's story, the Square was built during the reign of Queen Victoria. Originally, the pub was to be called The Balmoral, but upon the death of Prince Albert, it was re-named as a tribute to the mourning Queen.
As originally seen in the series, the exterior was brown. It was later painted green and cream until Grant Mitchell set fire to the pub, for insurance money, on Sharon Watts's birthday in 1992, after which, it was painted red.
During the early years of the show, the Queen Vic had a partition wall down the middle of the bar, which separated it into two sections. The smaller section, known as the 'snug', housed a dart board and fruit machines, whilst the larger section, known as the saloon bar, was used primarily as the customer seating area. Den Watts got permission from the brewery to remove the partition in October 1985, and hired Tony Carpenter to do the job.
In reality, the pub exterior shell on the outdoor permanent set was built between 1984 and 1985. The exterior shell was made to look as though it had stood for a hundred years. The internal sets are in a studio separate from the building situated in the Square.
The Queen Vic was originally owned by a brewery who leased it to the occupying tenants. With the help of Grant and Phil
Mitchell, Sharon Watts bought the freehold of the pub in 1991, and it has remained a free house ever since.
In June 2007, as part of a story arc, the pub had its first refurbishment in 15 years.
Landlords
When EastEnders first began in 1985, the pub was owned by the brewery, Luxford & Copley, and managed by Den and Angie Watts.
Before Den and Angie, Gus and Flo Leonard were the landlords, until 1950, when Alf and Polly Barrett took over. They, in turn, relinquished control of the pub in 1975 when Den and Angie took over. Their marriage ended in divorce on Christmas Day 1986, in an episode that attracted 30.15 million viewers who tuned in to see Den Watts hand over divorce papers to wife, Angie. This remains the highest rated episode of a soap in British television history.
Den remained in control for almost two years afterwards, when he passed control to Pat and Frank Butcher. They were in charge for just two years, when in 1990 Eddie Royle became the new landlord. Eddie was murdered by Nick Cotton after just one year as landlord, and Sharon Watts took over. She lived there with her husband, Grant, and his brother, Phil, until her marriage to Grant collapsed after just three years. Sharon then left, and the pub was sold to Grant's mother, Peggy.
Peggy married Frank Butcher in 1999, and they ran the pub together. When Grant left, Phil sold his share of the pub to Dan Sullivan for a mere £5, mostly to spite his domineering mother, but also because he was in the throes of serious alcoholism at the time. Eventually, Phil bought back his share and threw Dan out.
Peggy was forced to sell the Vic in early-2001, after Frank did a runner and left her penniless. Peggy was shocked when Sharon returned as the new co-owner of the pub with business partner, Steve Owen. Steve later sold his share to Phil when he was trying to raise ransom money when his wife, Mel, was kidnapped.
In 2002, Sharon sold her share back to the Mitchells, and Peggy appointed Alfie Moon as manager. In late-2004, Den Watts tricked his way back behind the bar, but in early-2005, he was killed by his second wife, Chrissie, who then forged Den's signature on a deed of transfer, telling customers that Den had left Walford and signed the pub over to her.
Just before being arrested for Den's murder in November 2005, Chrissie sold the Vic to Ian Beale, but this sale was nullified after Chrissie admitted to forging Den's signature on the deed of transfer. The pub's ownership, therefore, reverted to Sharon, who should have inherited it on Den's death; she handed the pub back over to Phil and Peggy Mitchell. Peggy is now the licensee.
Employees
Current employees
Past employees
- Landlords: Gus Leonard, Alf Barrett, Den Watts, Eddie Royle, Frank Butcher, Grant Mitchell, Dan Sullivan
- Landladies: Flo Leonard, Polly Barrett, Angie Watts, Pat Butcher, Sharon Watts, Chrissie Watts
- Managers: Alfie Moon, Barry Evans, Dave Roberts
- Bartenders: Lofty Holloway, Arthur Fowler, Nina Harris, Sam Mitchell, Ricky Butcher, Little Mo Mitchell, Kat Moon, Spencer Moon, Jake Moon, Simon Wicks, Melanie Healy, Trevor Morgan, Donna Ludlow, Kathy Beale, Clyde Tavernier, Michelle Fowler, Cindy Beale, Steve Elliot, Tiffany Mitchell, Debbie Wilkins, Lorraine Wicks, Jan Hammond, Binnie Roberts, Josie McFarlane, Mary Flaherty, Shelley Lewis, Dennis Rickman, Honey Mitchell, Dawn Swann, Sean Slater, Ronnie Mitchell
- Cleaners: Ethel Skinner, Pauline Fowler, Little Mo Mitchell, Rosie Miller, Juley Smith, Shirley Carter
- Potmen: Tom Clements, Jim Branning
- Caterers: Magda Czajkowski, Ian Beale, Cindy Beale, Hattie Tavernier
- Bookkeeper: Natalie Evans
Residents
Above the bar is a private flat on the first floor. There are four bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room and a bathroom.
The original occupants of the flat were Den, Angie and Sharon Watts, as well as their poodle Roly. Whilst they lived here, they also rented rooms to Simon Wicks, and later to his mother Pat. When Den and Angie split, Den's mistress, Jan Hammond, stayed here with Den for several months in 1987. By 1988, the Watts family had all moved out.
Pat then became the Vic's new licensee, and lived there with her new husband Frank Butcher and his children Ricky and Diane. Paul Priestly lodged with them for a while and Pat's son Simon also lodged there too. When Simon started dating Sharon, she moved back in as well. Simon and Sharon managed the Vic for the Butchers when they moved out in 1989. They applied for tenancy but were rejected.
In 1990 Eddie Royle became the new licensee. Eddie lived there, with Sharon as a lodger, and his girlfriend Eibhlin O'Donnell also moved in for a short time. After his murder in 1991, Sharon stayed in the Vic, married Grant Mitchell, and became the new licencee. They lived there together, and were later joined by Grant's brother, Phil who was also a third partner in the Vic. Grant later went to prison for a while, leaving Sharon and Phil alone; they embarked on an affair, but upon Grant's release, it finished and Phil moved out. Barman Steve Elliot rented a room from Grant and Sharon, and Della Alexander briefly stayed in his room with him.
Steve moved out in 1995, and Sharon also left Walford after her affair with Phil was uncovered. Grant traded his share in Mitchell's Autos with Phil's share of the pub, whilst his mother Peggy Mitchell bought Sharon's share and became the new licencee. They lived in the residence and Peggy's daughter Sam came back to the square and also stayed in the Vic for a while, before returning to Spain in 1996. In 1996, Tiffany Raymond married Grant, and the two moved in with their daughter Courtney, who was born in 1997. Lorraine and Joe Wicks also stayed here for a while, leading to Lorraine and Grant beginning an affair at the end of 1996. Tiffany and Courtney moved out in 1998, after her marriage to Grant finally broke down, but she was killed in a car accident later that year, so Courtney came back to the Vic. When Peggy married Frank Butcher in 1999, he moved back in, and later that year they were joined by Frank's daughter Janine. His son Ricky and his wife Bianca also moved in that year, with their son Liam. In September of that year, Sam Mitchell returned home again, and Bianca and Liam left Walford. Grant and Courtney left Walford in October 1999, and in January 2000, Sam had also left again.
When Dan Sullivan obtained a share in the Vic in 2000, he moved himself in the following year. Dan caused huge problems for the Butchers, particularly Ricky, whose wife he had slept with a year earlier, so Ricky decided to leave Walford in April that year. Dan was later conned out of ownership, and moved out in July 2000. Frank also left in November 2000, after his marriage ended and Janine was thrown out. Peggy then lived in the Vic alone, although Barry and Natalie Evans moved in for a while in April 2001, when the roof of their flat fell in. Barry also worked as manager of the Vic, whilst Natalie did the books.
Peggy was forced to sell the pub later that year, and Sharon Watts was reinstated as the licensee. She moved back in during May 2001, and lived here with her boyfriend Ross Fletcher, until she became involved with Phil Mitchell again, and he moved back in with Peggy and Jamie Mitchell. Sharon had gone again by the end of the year, and in 2002, Lisa Fowler moved in, along with her daughter Louise. Joanne Ryan also stayed, as a live-in nanny. Lisa fled Walford with Louise later that year, and Sam Mitchell returned yet again. Sharon also returned to bury her recently-deceased mother, Angie; she moved back in for a while to spite Peggy, but eventually moved out to live with Tom Banks.
Towards the end of 2002, Peggy decided to take a back-seat in the running of the pub, so all the Mitchells moved out, and she appointed a new manager, Alfie Moon, who moved into the flat with his brother Spencer and his grandmother Victoria. Alfie married Kat Slater on Christmas Day 2003, and she also moved in; her daughter Zoe also came to live in the Vic for a while in 2004.
Gangster Andy Hunter also satyed there for a little while.
Den Watts was restored as landlord by the end of 2004; he cruelly turfed the Moons out, and moved his entire family in, including Chrissie, Sharon, daughter Vicki and son Dennis, as well as Dennis's girlfriend, Zoe Slater. Vicki and Sharon left two days later, followed shortly by Dennis and Zoe in 2005. A month later, Den was murdered, leaving Chrissie on her own. Sharon and Dennis returned later that year and stayed in the Vic with Chrissie, who was eventually uncovered as Den's murderer; she went to prison, and Sharon and Dennis handed the Vic back over to Peggy, before moving out.
Peggy moved back in with her son Phil and daughter Sam, who only stayed for a brief period before she fled to Brazil. Sharon stayed with them briefly, after her husband was murdered in January 2006. Billy Mitchell and Honey Edwards moved in a bit later, and Jack Edwards also stayed briefly. Honey, Billy and Jack have since moved out, and Peggy lived in the Vic with her sons, Phil and Grant (who returned in March 2006), and Grant's daughter Courtney. In May 2006, Phil's son, Ben Mitchell, moved in. On 26 May, Grant got a shock when his Brazilian wife Carla turned up in the Vic, unannounced; she had cheated on him in Brazil, and wanted to patch things up, but when she tried to cheat Grant out of a large fortune, he threw her out, and she was never seen again. Grant and Courtney left at the same time for a new start in Portugal. Phil's girlfriend Stella Crawford later moved in, much to the chagrin of Ben. Stella died on her wedding day to Phil. Phil and Grant's cousins, Ronnie and Roxy arrived from Ibiza in July 2007 and are now settled in The Vic. In May 2008, Ricky Butcher began staying there after being thrown out of 31 Albert Square by ex-wife, Bianca Jackson after he kissed her. Three months later, Peggy's fiance Archie evicted Ricky. Also, Shirley Carter began staying there temporarily while Ben, Phil and Peggy were in Portugal and Max Branning temporarily stayed there after moving out of his brother Jack's house after punching him. After a short relationship with Suzy, Phil and Ben moved back in on the 25th December 2008.
In January 2009, Billy and Jay Moved into number 43a with Janine Butcher, and Phil and Ben moved in with Max and Bradley at number 27.
Current residents
Key events in the Vic
 - 1988: Potman Tom Clements died in the gentleman's toilets, of a heart attack, on 21 April.
- 1992: Grant Mitchell set fire to the Vic in order to claim money on the insurance, with his wife, Sharon, trapped inside.
- 1994: "Sharongate": Sharon Mitchell was caught out, when a taped confession of her affair with Phil was played in the bar, by Grant.
- 1998: Bianca Butcher gave birth to baby Liam, on Christmas Day.
- 1998: Tiffany Mitchell fell down the stairs and falsely accused Grant of pushing her. She survived this, only to be knocked down and killed by Frank Butcher on Bridge St on New Year's Eve.
- 2000: Pat Evans and Frank Butcher were humiliated by Peggy Mitchell, when she exposed their affair by reading out a goodbye letter from Frank.
- 2003: Little Mo Mitchell was raped - and impregnated - by Graham Foster.
- 2003: Kat and Alfie Moon were married on Christmas Day. Memorably, Alfie had hired a snow machine which turned the Square into a Winter Wonderland.
- 2005: In the soap's 20th Anniversary episode, Den Watts was killed by wife Chrissie with Pauline Fowler's dog-shaped doorstop; he was later buried in concrete in the cellar.
- 2005: Den's body was uncovered, by Sam Mitchell, on the day of Sharon and Dennis Rickman's wedding.
- 2007: The inside of The Vic was re-furbished with new wallpaper, fresh paint and new material on the seating.
- 2007: The pub was raided by Terry Bates and his gang, who were looking for Jase Dyer; windows, the bar, Jukebox, Slot Machine etc, were destroyed.
- 2008: Suzy Branning hid a DNA test of Amy Slater, which revealed that Amy was not Sean Slater's daughter, in one of Ben Mitchell's homemade crackers. The test was later found by Sean Slater at Christmas Lunch who dumped Roxy Mitchell. Roxy later revealed that Amy was Jack Branning's daughter.
See also
- List of buildings in EastEnders
- List of residences in EastEnders
External links
EastEnders profile
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