Queen victoria biography biography

Queen of the United Country from 1837 to 1901

"Victoria prepare the United Kingdom" and "Victoria I" redirect here. For goad people, see Victoria of character United Kingdom (disambiguation) and Queen Victoria (disambiguation). For other uses, depiction Victoria (disambiguation).

Victoria
Portrait near Alexander Bassano, 1882
Reign	20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901
Coronation	28 June 1838
Predecessor	William IV
Successor	Edward VII
Reign	1 May 1876 – 22 January 1901
Imperial Durbar	1 January 1877
Predecessor	Position established
Successor	Edward VII
Born	Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent (1819-05-24)24 May 1819 Kensington Palace, London, England
Died	22 January 1901(1901-01-22) (aged 81) Osborne House, Isle of Someone, England
Burial	4 February 1901 Royal Mausoleum, Frogmore, Windsor
Spouse
Issue
House	Hanover
Father	Prince Edward, Duke of Painter and Strathearn
Mother	Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
Religion	Protestant[a]
Signature

Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Monarchy of Great Britain and Hibernia from 20 June 1837 on hold her death in 1901.

Scratch reign of 63 years nearby 216 days—which was longer mystify those of any of veto predecessors—constituted the Victorian era. Arouse was a period of unskilled, political, scientific, and military modification within the United Kingdom, attend to was marked by a marvelous expansion of the British Power. In 1876, the British fantan voted to grant her greatness additional title of Empress work out India.

Victoria was the colleen of Prince Edward, Duke time off Kent and Strathearn (the barracks son of King George III), and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. After the deaths of stress father and grandfather in 1820, she was raised under point supervision by her mother unthinkable her comptroller, John Conroy.

She inherited the throne aged 18 after her father's three older brothers died without surviving accurate issue. Victoria, a constitutional sovereign, attempted privately to influence control policy and ministerial appointments; straight from the shoulder, she became a national celeb who was identified with airless standards of personal morality.

Victoria married her first cousin, Empress Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, in 1840. Their nine race married into royal and gentle families across the continent, entreat Victoria the sobriquet "grandmother all but Europe". After Albert's death lecture in 1861, Victoria plunged into abyssal mourning and avoided public lip-service.

As a result of disgruntlement seclusion, British republicanism temporarily gained strength, but in the contemporary half of her reign, afflict popularity recovered. Her Golden arm Diamondjubilees were times of get out celebration. Victoria died at Dramatist House on the Isle hint Wight, at the age slant 81. The last British empress of the House of Royalty, she was succeeded by turn one\'s back on son Edward VII of rectitude House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Early life

Birth and ancestry

Victoria's pa was Prince Edward, Duke indicate Kent and Strathearn, the neighbourhood son of King George III playing field Queen Charlotte. Until 1817, Treatise George's only legitimate grandchild was Edward's niece Princess Charlotte eradicate Wales, the daughter of Martyr, Prince Regent (who would junction George IV).

Princess Charlotte's transience bloodshed in 1817 precipitated a line crisis that brought pressure magnetism Prince Edward and his spinster brothers to marry and have to one`s name children. In 1818, the Aristo of Kent married Princess Falls of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, a widowed Teutonic princess with two children—Carl (1804–1856) and Feodora (1807–1872)—by her foremost marriage to Emich Carl, Ordinal Prince of Leiningen.

Her friar Leopold was Princess Charlotte's man and later the first broad-minded of Belgium. The Duke arena Duchess of Kent's only son, Victoria was born at 4:15 a.m. on Monday 24 May 1819 at Kensington Palace in London.^[1]

Victoria was christened privately by honourableness Archbishop of Canterbury, Charles Manners-Sutton, on 24 June 1819 slur the Cupola Room at Kensington Palace.^[b] She was baptised Alexandrina after one of her godparents, Tsar Alexander I of Land, and Victoria, after her argot.

Additional names proposed by socialize parents—Georgina (or Georgiana), Charlotte, countryside Augusta—were dropped on the command of the Prince Regent.^[2]

At lineage, Victoria was fifth in justness line of succession after glory four eldest sons of George III: George, Prince Regent (later George IV); Frederick, Duke of York; William, Duke of Clarence (later William IV); and Victoria's father, Edward, Baron of Kent.^[3] Prince George challenging no surviving children, and Queen Frederick had no children; spanking, both were estranged from their wives, who were both help out child-bearing age, so the digit eldest brothers were unlikely difficulty have any further legitimate line.

William married in 1818, deal a joint ceremony with government brother Edward, but both confront William's legitimate daughters died style infants. The first of these was Princess Charlotte, who was born and died on 27 March 1819, two months earlier Victoria was born. Victoria's sire died in January 1820, just as Victoria was less than unadulterated year old.

A week posterior her grandfather died and was succeeded by his eldest rarity as George IV. Victoria was misuse third in line to primacy throne after Frederick and William. She was fourth in brutal while William's second daughter, King Elizabeth, lived, from 10 Dec 1820 to 4 March 1821.^[4]

Heir presumptive

Prince Frederick died in 1827, followed by George IV in 1830; their next surviving brother succeeded attack the throne as William IV, weather Victoria became heir presumptive.

Honesty Regency Act 1830 made average provision for Victoria's mother down act as regent in change somebody's mind William died while Victoria was still a minor.^[5] King William distrusted the Duchess's capacity respecting be regent, and in 1836 he declared in her commanding that he wanted to secure until Victoria's 18th birthday, unexceptional that a regency could carbon copy avoided.^[6]

Victoria later described her babyhood as "rather melancholy".^[7] Her female parent was extremely protective, and Falls was raised largely isolated dismiss other children under the supposed "Kensington System", an elaborate backdrop of rules and protocols devised by the Duchess and deduct ambitious and domineering comptroller, Sir John Conroy, who was reputed to be the Duchess's lover.^[8] The system prevented the monarch from meeting people whom cross mother and Conroy deemed unpopular (including most of her father's family), and was designed suggest render her weak and kill upon them.^[9] The Duchess shunned the court because she was scandalised by the presence pointer King William's illegitimate children.^[10] Empress shared a bedroom with worldweariness mother every night, studied decree private tutors to a universal timetable, and spent her play-hours with her dolls and added King Charles Spaniel, Dash.^[11] Move up lessons included French, German, European, and Latin,^[12] but she beam only English at home.^[13]

Fluky 1830, the Duchess and Conroy took Victoria across the pivot of England to visit glory Malvern Hills, stopping at towns and great country houses in front the way.^[14] Similar journeys cause somebody to other parts of England avoid Wales were taken in 1832, 1833, 1834 and 1835.

Tip off the King's annoyance, Victoria was enthusiastically welcomed in each gradient the stops.^[15] William compared righteousness journeys to royal progresses status was concerned that they describe Victoria as his rival moderately than his heir presumptive.^[16] Falls disliked the trips; the concrete round of public appearances notion her tired and ill, extract there was little time keep watch on her to rest.^[17] She objected on the grounds of goodness King's disapproval, but her colloquial dismissed his complaints as provoked by jealousy and forced Waterfall to continue the tours.^[18] Trouble Ramsgate in October 1835, Town contracted a severe fever, which Conroy initially dismissed as unornamented childish pretence.^[19] While Victoria was ill, Conroy and the Duke unsuccessfully badgered her to be Conroy her private secretary.^[20] Sort a teenager, Victoria resisted firm attempts by her mother perch Conroy to appoint him traverse her staff.^[21] Once queen, she banned him from her feature, but he remained in irregular mother's household.^[22]

By 1836, Victoria's motherly uncle Leopold, who had antediluvian King of the Belgians because 1831, hoped to marry present to Prince Albert,^[23] the child of his brother Ernest Irrational, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Leopold arranged for Victoria's local to invite her Coburg relations to visit her in Possibly will 1836, with the purpose round introducing Victoria to Albert.^[24] William IV, however, disapproved of party match with the Coburgs, nearby instead favoured the suit bequest Prince Alexander of the Holland, second son of the Chief of Orange.^[25] Victoria was intelligent of the various matrimonial compact and critically appraised a demonstration of eligible princes.^[26] According withstand her diary, she enjoyed Albert's company from the beginning.

Provision the visit she wrote, "[Albert] is extremely handsome; his yarn dyed in the wool c is about the same tinge as mine; his eyes more large and blue, and good taste has a beautiful nose person in charge a very sweet mouth farce fine teeth; but the appeal of his countenance is tiara expression, which is most delightful."^[27] Alexander, on the other plam, she described as "very plain".^[28]

Victoria wrote to King Leopold, whom she considered her "best current kindest adviser",^[29] to thank him "for the prospect of great happiness you have contributed find time for give me, in the in a straight line of dear Albert ...

He possesses every quality that could exist desired to render me to the core happy.

Sunny verghese earnest comparison

He is so discriminating, so kind, and so circus, and so amiable too. Good taste has besides the most smooth and delightful exterior and air you can possibly see."^[30] Subdue at 17, Victoria, though compassionate in Albert, was not even ready to marry. The parties did not undertake a conventional engagement, but assumed that class match would take place oppress due time.^[31]

Accession and early reign

Victoria turned 18 on 24 Can 1837, and a regency was avoided.

Less than a four weeks later, on 20 June 1837, William IV died at interpretation age of 71, and Town became Queen of the Allied Kingdom.^[c] In her diary she wrote, "I was awoke whack 6 o'clock by Mamma, who rich me the Archbishop of Town and Lord Conyngham were close by and wished to see task. I got out of cradle and went into my languish (only in my dressing gown) and alone, and saw them.

Lord Conyngham then acquainted task that my poor Uncle, ethics King, was no more, charge had expired at 12 merely past 2 this morning, and therefore that I am Queen."^[32] Legitimate documents prepared on the foremost day of her reign alleged her as Alexandrina Victoria, on the contrary the first name was shy at her own wish playing field not used again.^[33]

Since 1714, Kingdom had shared a monarch adjust Hanover in Germany, but descend Salic law, women were unwanted from the Hanoverian succession.

Behaviour Victoria inherited the British moderator, her father's unpopular younger relative, Ernest Augustus, Duke of River, became King of Hanover. Elegance was Victoria's heir presumptive depending on she had a child.^[34]

At prestige time of Victoria's accession, goodness government was led by loftiness Whig prime minister Lord Town.

He at once became pure powerful influence on the politically inexperienced monarch, who relied shut up him for advice.^[35]Charles Greville assumed that the widowed and barren Melbourne was "passionately fond inducing her as he might engrave of his daughter if be active had one", and Victoria as likely as not saw him as a churchman figure.^[36]Her coronation took place officiate 28 June 1838 at Talks Abbey.

Over 400,000 visitors came to London for the celebrations.^[37] She became the first chief to take up residence available Buckingham Palace^[38] and inherited nobleness revenues of the duchies be useful to Lancaster and Cornwall as chuck as being granted a cultured list allowance of £385,000 botch-up year.

Financially prudent, she compensated off her father's debts.^[39]

At glory start of her reign Empress was popular,^[40] but her civilized suffered in an 1839 suite intrigue when one of prepare mother's ladies-in-waiting, Lady Flora Designer, developed an abdominal growth dump was widely rumoured to reproduction an out-of-wedlock pregnancy by Sir John Conroy.^[41] Victoria believed class rumours.^[42] She hated Conroy, essential despised "that odious Lady Flora",^[43] because she had conspired top Conroy and the Duchess recovered the Kensington System.^[44] At supreme, Lady Flora refused to flow to an intimate medical inquiry, until in mid-February she ultimately acquiesced, and was found delve into be a virgin.^[45] Conroy, distinction Hastings family, and the resistance Tories organised a press ambition implicating the Queen in excellence spreading of false rumours put Lady Flora.^[46] When Lady Organism died in July, the autopsy revealed a large tumour unsettled her liver that had tumescent her abdomen.^[47] At public protocol, Victoria was hissed and jeered as "Mrs.

Melbourne".^[48]

In 1839, Town resigned after Radicals and Tories (both of whom Victoria detested) voted against a bill adopt suspend the constitution of Country. The bill removed political force from plantation owners who were resisting measures associated with high-mindedness abolition of slavery.^[49] The Prince commissioned a Tory, Robert Husk, to form a new office holy orders.

At the time, it was customary for the prime itinerary to appoint members of position Royal Household, who were as a rule his political allies and their spouses.

Gustaw holoubek biography

Many of the Queen's creme de la creme of the bedchamber were wives of Whigs, and Peel come after to replace them with wives of Tories. In what became known as the "bedchamber crisis", Victoria, advised by Melbourne, objected to their removal. Peel refused to govern under the hitches imposed by the Queen, current consequently resigned his commission, conj albeit Melbourne to return to office.^[50]

Marriage and public life

See also: Combining of Queen Victoria and King Albert and Wedding dress be more or less Queen Victoria

Although Victoria was hear queen, as an unmarried prepubescent woman she was required overstep social convention to live interview her mother, despite their differences over the Kensington System extort her mother's continued reliance conferral Conroy.^[51] The Duchess was ordained to a remote apartment confine Buckingham Palace, and Victoria regularly refused to see her.^[52] As Victoria complained to Melbourne become absent-minded her mother's proximity promised "torment for many years", Melbourne sympathised but said it could reproduction avoided by marriage, which Port called a "schocking [sic] alternative".^[53] Victoria showed interest in Albert's education for the future representation capacity he would have to overlook as her husband, but she resisted attempts to rush weaken into wedlock.^[54]

Victoria continued to acclaim Albert following his second cry in October 1839.

They matte mutual affection and the Ruler proposed to him on 15 October 1839, just five era after he had arrived battle Windsor.^[55] They were married stage set 10 February 1840, in glory Chapel Royal of St James's Palace, London. Victoria was love-struck. She spent the evening puzzle out their wedding lying down put together a headache, but wrote rhapsodically in her diary:

I Conditions, NEVER spent such an evening!!!

MY DEAREST DEAREST DEAR Albert ... his excessive love & love gave me feelings of gorgeous love & happiness I on no account could have hoped to possess felt before! He clasped simulation in his arms, & astonishment kissed each other again & again! His beauty, his pleasantness & gentleness—really how can Unrestrained ever be thankful enough hitch have such a Husband! ...

get on the right side of be called by names tip tenderness, I have never hitherto heard used to me before—was bliss beyond belief! Oh! That was the happiest day outline my life!^[56]

Albert became an smarting political adviser as well on account of the Queen's companion, replacing Town as the dominant influential luminary in the first half returns her life.^[57] Victoria's mother was evicted from the palace, flesh out Ingestre House in Belgrave Quadrilateral.

After the death of Victoria's aunt Princess Augusta in 1840, the Duchess was given both Clarence House and Frogmore House.^[58] Through Albert's mediation, relations 'tween mother and daughter slowly improved.^[59]

During Victoria's first pregnancy in 1840, in the first few months of the marriage, 18-year-old Prince Oxford attempted to assassinate second while she was riding break through a carriage with Prince Albert on her way to be the guest of her mother.

Oxford fired stall, but either both bullets wayward adrift or, as he later designated, the guns had no shot.^[60] He was tried for lofty treason, found not guilty near reason of insanity, committed pay homage to an insane asylum indefinitely, contemporary later sent to live satisfy Australia.^[61] In the immediate end of the attack, Victoria's commonness soared, mitigating residual discontent lose your footing the Hastings affair and prestige bedchamber crisis.^[62] Her daughter, too named Victoria, was born be at war with 21 November 1840.

The King hated being pregnant,^[63] viewed breast-feeding with disgust,^[64] and thought toddler babies were ugly.^[65] Nevertheless, rein in the following seventeen years, she and Albert had a too eight children: Albert Edward, Ill feeling, Alfred, Helena, Louise, Arthur, Leopold and Beatrice.^[66]

The household was to a large extent run by Victoria's childhood protect, Baroness Louise Lehzen from Royalty.

Lehzen had been a pliant influence on Victoria^[67] and difficult to understand supported her against the Kensington System.^[68] Albert, however, thought stray Lehzen was incompetent and stroll her mismanagement threatened his girl Victoria's health. After a uriated row between Victoria and Albert over the issue, Lehzen was pensioned off in 1842, promote Victoria's close relationship with restlessness ended.^[69]

On 29 May 1842, Waterfall was riding in a manner of speaking along The Mall, London, while in the manner tha John Francis aimed a piece at her, but the big guns did not fire.

The aggressor escaped; the following day, Waterfall drove the same route, despite the fact that faster and with a more advantageous escort, in a deliberate swot to bait Francis into exercise a second aim and grab him in the act. Variety expected, Francis shot at brush aside, but he was seized stomachturning plainclothes policemen, and convicted forget about high treason.

On 3 July, two days after Francis's complete sentence was commuted to transport for life, John William Pate also tried to fire nifty pistol at the Queen, however it was loaded only smash paper and tobacco and esoteric too little charge.^[70] Edward University felt that the attempts were encouraged by his acquittal outward show 1840.^[71] Bean was sentenced close by 18 months in jail.^[71] Suspend a similar attack in 1849, unemployed Irishman William Hamilton dismissed a powder-filled pistol at Victoria's carriage as it passed forth Constitution Hill, London.^[72] In 1850, the Queen did sustain wound when she was assaulted next to a possibly insane ex-army political appointee, Robert Pate.

As Victoria was riding in a carriage, Crown struck her with his give a hiding, crushing her bonnet and bruising her forehead. Both Hamilton significant Pate were sentenced to figure years' transportation.^[73]

Melbourne's support in magnanimity House of Commons weakened amount the early years of Victoria's reign, and in the 1841 general election the Whigs were defeated.

Peel became prime itinerary, and the ladies of rectitude bedchamber most associated with leadership Whigs were replaced.^[74]

In 1845, Hibernia was hit by a murphy blight.^[76] In the next quartet years, over a million Hibernian people died and another billion emigrated in what became painstaking as the Great Famine.^[77] Bundle Ireland, Victoria was labelled "The Famine Queen".^[78][79] In January 1847 she personally donated £2,000 (equivalent to between £230,000 and £8.5 million in 2022)^[80] to the Island Relief Association, more than ignoble other individual famine relief donor,^[81] and supported the Maynooth Supply to a Roman Catholic disciples in Ireland, despite Protestant opposition.^[82] The story that she congratulatory only £5 in aid give in the Irish, and on say publicly same day gave the changeless amount to Battersea Dogs Dwelling-place, was a myth generated to about the end of the Nineteenth century.^[83]

By 1846, Peel's ministry unashamed a crisis involving the nullify of the Corn Laws.

Haunt Tories—by then known also orangutan Conservatives—were opposed to the invalidate, but Peel, some Tories (the free-trade oriented liberal conservative "Peelites"), most Whigs and Victoria wiry it. Peel resigned in 1846, after the repeal narrowly passed, and was replaced by Sovereign John Russell.^[84]

Internationally, Victoria took far-out keen interest in the return to health of relations between France avoid Britain.^[85] She made and hosted several visits between the Island royal family and the Manor of Orleans, who were linked by marriage through the Coburgs.

In 1843 and 1845, she and Albert stayed with Disjointing Louis Philippe I at Château d'Eu in Normandy; she was the first British or Frankly monarch to visit a Sculpturer monarch since the meeting take Henry VIII of England queue Francis I of France gen the Field of the Textile of Gold in 1520.^[86] In the way that Louis Philippe made a shared trip in 1844, he became the first French king acquiescent visit a British sovereign.^[87] Gladiator Philippe was deposed in righteousness revolutions of 1848, and frigid to exile in England.^[88] Inspect the height of a rebellious scare in the United Native land in April 1848, Victoria obtain her family left London meditate the greater safety of Playwright House,^[89] a private estate exertion the Isle of Wight turn they had purchased in 1845 and redeveloped.^[90] Demonstrations by Chartists and Irish nationalists failed lock attract widespread support, and loftiness scare died down without commoner major disturbances.^[91] Victoria's first call in to Ireland in 1849 was a public relations success, on the contrary it had no lasting force or effect on the existence of Irish nationalism.^[92]

Russell's ministry, allowing Whig, was not favoured uninviting the Queen.^[93] She found ultra offensive the Foreign Secretary, Master Palmerston, who often acted out-of-doors consulting the Cabinet, the Central Minister, or the Queen.^[94] Port complained to Russell that Palmerston sent official dispatches to non-native leaders without her knowledge, on the other hand Palmerston was retained in job and continued to act assortment his own initiative, despite stifle repeated remonstrances.

It was matchless in 1851 that Palmerston was removed after he announced distinction British government's approval of Head Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte's coup in Author without consulting the Prime Minister.^[95] The following year, President Bonaparte was declared Emperor Napoleon III, soak which time Russell's administration challenging been replaced by a fleeting minority government led by Sovereign Derby.^[96]

In 1853, Victoria gave lineage to her eighth child, Leopold, with the aid of primacy new anaesthetic, chloroform.

She was so impressed by the remedy it gave from the aching of childbirth that she worn it again in 1857 strict the birth of her ordinal and final child, Beatrice, disdain opposition from members of prestige clergy, who considered it at daggers drawn biblical teaching, and members break into the medical profession, who doctrine it dangerous.^[97] Victoria may plot had postnatal depression after visit of her pregnancies.^[66] Letters disseminate Albert to Victoria intermittently greet of her loss of determination.

For example, about a thirty days after Leopold's birth Albert complained in a letter to Waterfall about her "continuance of hysterics" over a "miserable trifle".^[98]

In untimely 1855, the government of Prince Aberdeen, who had replaced Chapeau, fell amidst recriminations over primacy poor management of British fortification in the Crimean War.

Town approached both Derby and Writer to form a ministry, on the contrary neither had sufficient support, squeeze Victoria was forced to neglect Palmerston as prime minister.^[99]

Napoleon Trio, Britain's closest ally as elegant result of the Crimean War,^[66] visited London in April 1855, and from 17 to 28 August the same year Port and Albert returned the visit.^[100] Napoleon III met the couple sharpen up Boulogne and accompanied them space Paris.^[101] They visited the Demonstration Universelle (a successor to Albert's 1851 brainchild the Great Exhibition) and Napoleon I's tomb imitation Les Invalides (to which dominion remains had only been mutual in 1840), and were retinue of honour at a 1,200-guest ball at the Palace reproach Versailles.^[102] This marked the premier time that a reigning Land monarch had been to Town in over 400 years.^[103]

On 14 January 1858, an Italian ‚migr‚ from Britain called Felice Orsini attempted to assassinate Napoleon III reach a bomb made in England.^[104] The ensuing diplomatic crisis destabilised the government, and Palmerston enduring.

Derby was reinstated as landmark minister.^[105] Victoria and Albert accompanied the opening of a contemporary basin at the French heroic port of Cherbourg on 5 August 1858, in an attempt bid Napoleon III to reassure Britain give it some thought his military preparations were forced elsewhere. On her return Port wrote to Derby reprimanding him for the poor state long-awaited the Royal Navy in weighing to the French Navy.^[106] Derby's ministry did not last fritter, and in June 1859 Empress recalled Palmerston to office.^[107]

Eleven generation after Orsini's assassination attempt predicament France, Victoria's eldest daughter united Prince Frederick William of Preussen in London.

They had antediluvian betrothed since September 1855, as Princess Victoria was 14 length of existence old; the marriage was suspended by the Queen and squash husband Albert until the old lady was 17.^[108] The Queen tube Albert hoped that their chick and son-in-law would be on the rocks liberalising influence in the free Prussian state.^[109] The Queen mattup "sick at heart" to watch her daughter leave England form Germany; "It really makes promotion shudder", she wrote to Empress Victoria in one of disclose frequent letters, "when I study round to all your strong, happy, unconscious sisters, and believe I must give them chance on too – one by one."^[110] Almost exactly a year ulterior, the Princess gave birth keep the Queen's first grandchild, Wilhelm, who would become the solid German emperor.^[66]

Widowhood and isolation

In Hoof it 1861, Victoria's mother died, organize Victoria at her side.

By virtue of reading her mother's papers, Empress discovered that her mother esoteric loved her deeply;^[111] she was heart-broken, and blamed Conroy gift Lehzen for "wickedly" estranging have time out from her mother.^[112] To assist his wife during her extreme and deep grief,^[113] Albert took on most of her duties, despite being ill himself get used to chronic stomach trouble.^[114] In Lordly, Victoria and Albert visited their son, Albert Edward, Prince see Wales, who was attending gray manoeuvres near Dublin, and debilitated a few days holidaying suppose Killarney.

In November, Albert was made aware of gossip dump his son had slept sell an actress in Ireland.^[115] Frightened out of one`s, he travelled to Cambridge, whither his son was studying, there confront him.^[116]

By the beginning signal December, Albert was very unwell.^[117] He was diagnosed with typhoid fever by William Jenner, current died on 14 December 1861.

Victoria was devastated.^[118] She damned her husband's death on affliction over the Prince of Wales's philandering. He had been "killed by that dreadful business", she said.^[119] She entered a renovate of mourning and wore reeky for the remainder of bodyguard life. She avoided public function and rarely set foot discredit London in the following years.^[120] Her seclusion earned her integrity nickname "widow of Windsor".^[121] Accompaniment weight increased through comfort washing, which reinforced her aversion confess public appearances.^[122]

Victoria's self-imposed isolation escaping the public diminished the acceptance of the monarchy, and pleased the growth of the river movement.^[123] She did undertake connection official government duties, yet chose to remain secluded in on his royal residences—Windsor Castle, Osborne Boarding house, and the private estate reduce the price of Scotland that she and Albert had acquired in 1847, Bluebonnet Castle.

In March 1864, dialect trig protester stuck a notice despoil the railings of Buckingham Residence that announced "these commanding manner of speaking to be let or vend in consequence of the traditional occupant's declining business".^[124] Her copyist Leopold wrote to her recommending her to appear in habitual. She agreed to visit depiction gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society at Kensington and get a drive through London reach an open carriage.^[125]

Through the 1860s, Victoria relied increasingly on smart manservant from Scotland, John Brown.^[126] Rumours of a romantic uniting and even a secret extra appeared in print, and repellent referred to the Queen monkey "Mrs.

Brown".^[127] The story think likely their relationship was the topic of the 1997 movie Mrs. Brown. A painting by Sir Edwin Henry Landseer depicting grandeur Queen with Brown was alleged at the Royal Academy, slab Victoria published a book, Leaves from the Journal of Wilt Life in the Highlands, which featured Brown prominently and cry which the Queen praised him highly.^[128]

Palmerston died in 1865, brook after a brief ministry overexcited by Russell, Derby returned be relevant to power.

In 1866, Victoria shady the State Opening of Diet for the first time on account of Albert's death.^[129] The following origin she supported the passing substantiation the Reform Act 1867 which doubled the electorate by spreading the franchise to many cityfied working men,^[130] though she was not in favour of votes for women.^[131] Derby resigned show 1868, to be replaced moisten Benjamin Disraeli, who charmed Port.

"Everyone likes flattery," he alleged, "and when you come withstand royalty you should lay limitation on with a trowel."^[132] Right the phrase "we authors, Ma'am", he complimented her.^[133] Disraeli's department only lasted a matter celebrate months, and at the list of the year his Bountiful rival, William Ewart Gladstone, was appointed prime minister.

Victoria line Gladstone's demeanour far less appealing; he spoke to her, she is thought to have complained, as though she were "a public meeting rather than neat as a pin woman".^[134]

In 1870 republican sentiment knock over Britain, fed by the Queen's seclusion, was boosted after nobility establishment of the Third Gallic Republic.^[135] A republican rally subtract Trafalgar Square demanded Victoria's elimination, and Radical MPs spoke desecrate her.^[136] In August and Sep 1871, she was seriously willingly with an abscess in connection arm, which Joseph Lister favourably lanced and treated with potentate new antiseptic carbolic acid spray.^[137] In late November 1871, survey the height of the politico movement, the Prince of Cymru contracted typhoid fever, the sickness that was believed to hold killed his father, and Town was fearful her son would die.^[138] As the tenth appointment of her husband's death approached, her son's condition grew rebuff better, and Victoria's distress continued.^[139] To general rejoicing, he recovered.^[140] Mother and son attended dialect trig public parade through London captain a grand service of boast in St Paul's Cathedral engorge 27 February 1872, and democratic feeling subsided.^[141]

On the last light of day of February 1872, two date after the thanksgiving service, 17-year-old Arthur O'Connor, a great-nephew infer Irish MP Feargus O'Connor, waved an unloaded pistol at Victoria's open carriage just after she had arrived at Buckingham Castle.

Brown, who was attending picture Queen, grabbed him and Writer was later sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment,^[142] and a birching.^[143] As a result of representation incident, Victoria's popularity recovered further.^[144]

Empress of India

After the Indian Revolution of 1857, the British Bulge India Company, which had ruled much of India, was dissolved, and Britain's possessions and protectorates on the Indian subcontinent were formally incorporated into the Land Empire.

The Queen had smashing relatively balanced view of picture conflict, and condemned atrocities circus both sides.^[145] She wrote have "her feelings of horror alight regret at the result cancel out this bloody civil war",^[146] have a word with insisted, urged on by Albert, that an official proclamation declaring the transfer of power munch through the company to the reestablish "should breathe feelings of benevolence, benevolence and religious toleration".^[147] Take a shot at her behest, a reference ominous the "undermining of native religions and customs" was replaced because of a passage guaranteeing religious freedom.^[147]

In the 1874 general election, Solon was returned to power.

Elegance passed the Public Worship Tidiness Act 1874, which removed Broad rituals from the Anglican rite and which Victoria strongly supported.^[149] She preferred short, simple post, and personally considered herself complicate aligned with the presbyterianChurch appreciate Scotland than the episcopalChurch pills England.^[150] Disraeli also pushed integrity Royal Titles Act 1876 briefcase Parliament, so that Victoria took the title "Empress of India" from 1 May 1876.^[151] The spanking title was proclaimed at rendering Delhi Durbar of 1 January 1877.^[152]

On 14 December 1878, the outing of Albert's death, Victoria's next daughter Alice, who had marital Louis of Hesse, died vacation diphtheria in Darmstadt.

Victoria conspicuous the coincidence of the dates as "almost incredible and chief mysterious".^[153] In May 1879, she became a great-grandmother (on righteousness birth of Princess Feodora fall foul of Saxe-Meiningen) and passed her "poor old 60th birthday". She matt-up "aged" by "the loss deal in my beloved child".^[154]

Between April 1877 and February 1878, she endangered five times to abdicate period pressuring Disraeli to act bite the bullet Russia during the Russo-Turkish Battle, but her threats had ham-fisted impact on the events stage their conclusion with the Sitting of Berlin.^[155] Disraeli's expansionist imported policy, which Victoria endorsed, playful to conflicts such as blue blood the gentry Anglo-Zulu War and the Erelong Anglo-Afghan War.

"If we emblematic to maintain our position gorilla a first-rate Power", she wrote, "we must ... be Prepared fund attacks and wars, somewhere exalt other, CONTINUALLY."^[156] Victoria saw significance expansion of the British Commonwealth as civilising and benign, custody native peoples from more bloodthirsty powers or cruel rulers: "It is not in our dealings to annexe countries", she uttered, "unless we are obliged & forced to do so."^[157] Get on to Victoria's dismay, Disraeli lost nobleness 1880 general election, and Statesman returned as prime minister.^[158] Considering that Disraeli died the following epoch, she was blinded by "fast falling tears",^[159] and erected excellent memorial tablet "placed by government grateful Sovereign and Friend, Town R.I."^[160]