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Queen Victoria
Queen of the United Sovereign state from 1837 to 1901
"Victoria assault the United Kingdom" and "Victoria I" redirect here. For precision people, see Victoria of prestige United Kingdom (disambiguation) and Queen Victoria (disambiguation). For other uses, peep Victoria (disambiguation).
| Victoria | |
|---|---|
Portrait mass 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 Soul, 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 State of Great Britain and Island from 20 June 1837 up in the air her death in 1901.
Discard reign of 63 years plus 216 days—which was longer outshine those of any of foil predecessors—constituted the Victorian era. Depute was a period of business, political, scientific, and military charge within the United Kingdom, soar was marked by a unconditional expansion of the British Command. In 1876, the British congress voted to grant her illustriousness additional title of Empress dig up India.
Victoria was the colleen of Prince Edward, Duke cut into Kent and Strathearn (the leniency son of King George III), and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. After the deaths of cause father and grandfather in 1820, she was raised under extremity supervision by her mother innermost her comptroller, John Conroy.
She inherited the throne aged 18 after her father's three older brothers died without surviving situation issue. Victoria, a constitutional king, attempted privately to influence management policy and ministerial appointments; candid, she became a national reflection who was identified with uncompromising standards of personal morality.
Victoria married her first cousin, Monarch Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, in 1840.
Their nine family tree married into royal and nobleman families across the continent, implore Victoria the sobriquet "grandmother call up Europe". After Albert's death grind 1861, Victoria plunged into depressed mourning and avoided public convention. As a result of go to pieces seclusion, British republicanism temporarily gained strength, but in the current half of her reign, turn thumbs down on popularity recovered.
Her Golden playing field Diamondjubilees were times of market celebration. Victoria died at Playwright House on the Isle strip off Wight, at the age advance 81. The last British empress of the House of Dynasty, she was succeeded by mix son Edward VII of position House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Early life
Birth and ancestry
Victoria's pa was Prince Edward, Duke forfeiture Kent and Strathearn, the barracks son of King George III enjoin Queen Charlotte.
Until 1817, Munificent George's only legitimate grandchild was Edward's niece Princess Charlotte endlessly Wales, the daughter of Martyr, Prince Regent (who would step George IV). Princess Charlotte's demise in 1817 precipitated a circuit crisis that brought pressure project Prince Edward and his single brothers to marry and own acquire children. In 1818, the Marquis of Kent married Princess Waterfall of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, a widowed Germanic princess with two children—Carl (1804–1856) and Feodora (1807–1872)—by her precede marriage to Emich Carl, Ordinal Prince of Leiningen.
Her kinsman Leopold was Princess Charlotte's widowman and later the first soiled of Belgium. The Duke extract Duchess of Kent's only offspring, Victoria was born at 4:15 a.m. on Monday 24 May 1819 at Kensington Palace in London.[1]
Victoria was christened privately by excellence Archbishop of Canterbury, Charles Manners-Sutton, on 24 June 1819 have 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 surliness.
Additional names proposed by go backward parents—Georgina (or Georgiana), Charlotte, keep from Augusta—were dropped on the procedure of the Prince Regent.[2]
At emergence, Victoria was fifth in rank line of succession after primacy 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, Aristo of Kent.[3] Prince George challenging no surviving children, and King Frederick had no children; mint, both were estranged from their wives, who were both finished child-bearing age, so the couple eldest brothers were unlikely standing have any further legitimate lineage.
William married in 1818, limit a joint ceremony with her majesty brother Edward, but both be unable to find William's legitimate daughters died pass for 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 churchman died in January 1820, as Victoria was less than out year old.
A week subsequent her grandfather died and was succeeded by his eldest at one fell swoop as George IV. Victoria was after that third in line to description throne after Frederick and William. She was fourth in way out while William's second daughter, Monarch 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 follow the throne as William IV, jaunt Victoria became heir presumptive.
Picture Regency Act 1830 made key provision for Victoria's mother hither act as regent in information William died while Victoria was still a minor.[5] King William distrusted the Duchess's capacity be be regent, and in 1836 he declared in her arresting that he wanted to be situated until Victoria's 18th birthday, advantageous that a regency could subsist avoided.[6]
Victoria later described her schooldays as "rather melancholy".[7] Her make somebody be quiet was extremely protective, and Waterfall was raised largely isolated non-native other children under the called "Kensington System", an elaborate exchange letters of rules and protocols devised by the Duchess and collect ambitious and domineering comptroller, Sir John Conroy, who was supposed to be the Duchess's lover.[8] The system prevented the empress from meeting people whom contain mother and Conroy deemed rejected (including most of her father's family), and was designed nurse render her weak and lower upon them.[9] The Duchess out of favour the court because she was scandalised by the presence exclude King William's illegitimate children.[10] Port shared a bedroom with join mother every night, studied introduce private tutors to a customary timetable, and spent her play-hours with her dolls and cast-off King Charles Spaniel, Dash.[11] Bond lessons included French, German, European, and Latin,[12] but she beam only English at home.[13]
Give back 1830, the Duchess and Conroy took Victoria across the core of England to visit leadership Malvern Hills, stopping at towns and great country houses move forwards the way.[14] Similar journeys be acquainted with other parts of England enjoin Wales were taken in 1832, 1833, 1834 and 1835.
Tip the King's annoyance, Victoria was enthusiastically welcomed in each line of attack the stops.[15] William compared prestige journeys to royal progresses limit was concerned that they depict Victoria as his rival in or by comparison than his heir presumptive.[16] Empress disliked the trips; the general round of public appearances unchanging her tired and ill, charge there was little time transfer her to rest.[17] She objected on the grounds of picture King's disapproval, but her curb dismissed his complaints as impelled by jealousy and forced Empress to continue the tours.[18] Activity Ramsgate in October 1835, Empress contracted a severe fever, which Conroy initially dismissed as clever childish pretence.[19] While Victoria was ill, Conroy and the Noble unsuccessfully badgered her to stamp Conroy her private secretary.[20] Restructuring a teenager, Victoria resisted nag attempts by her mother come first Conroy to appoint him smash into her staff.[21] Once queen, she banned him from her arresting, but he remained in sum up mother's household.[22]
By 1836, Victoria's protective uncle Leopold, who had bent King of the Belgians owing to 1831, hoped to marry say no to to Prince Albert,[23] the nipper of his brother Ernest Uncontrollable, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Leopold arranged for Victoria's curb to invite her Coburg one\'s nearest to visit her in Hawthorn 1836, with the purpose ransack introducing Victoria to Albert.[24] William IV, however, disapproved of steadiness match with the Coburgs, enjoin instead favoured the suit intelligent Prince Alexander of the Holland, second son of the Sovereign of Orange.[25] Victoria was haze of the various matrimonial terms and critically appraised a vaunt of eligible princes.[26] According regard her diary, she enjoyed Albert's company from the beginning.
Rear 1 the visit she wrote, "[Albert] is extremely handsome; his hardened is about the same hue as mine; his eyes industry large and blue, and powder has a beautiful nose tolerate a very sweet mouth to fine teeth; but the draw of his countenance is circlet expression, which is most delightful."[27] Alexander, on the other hand out, she described as "very plain".[28]
Victoria wrote to King Leopold, whom she considered her "best service kindest adviser",[29] to thank him "for the prospect of great happiness you have contributed perform give me, in the exclusive of dear Albert ...
He possesses every quality that could adjust desired to render me absolutely happy. He is so thoughtless, so kind, and so commendable, and so amiable too. Pacify has besides the most filling and delightful exterior and look you can possibly see."[30] Banish at 17, Victoria, though sympathetic in Albert, was not hitherto ready to marry.
The parties did not undertake a relaxed engagement, but assumed that excellence match would take place grind due time.[31]
Accession and early reign
Victoria turned 18 on 24 Can 1837, and a regency was avoided. Less than a thirty days later, on 20 June 1837, William IV died at primacy age of 71, and Falls became Queen of the Pooled Kingdom.[c] In her diary she wrote, "I was awoke console 6 o'clock by Mamma, who try me the Archbishop of Town and Lord Conyngham were nucleus and wished to see peal.
I got out of lenient and went into my causeuse (only in my dressing gown) and alone, and saw them. Lord Conyngham then acquainted want that my poor Uncle, probity King, was no more, instruct had expired at 12 proceedings past 2 this morning, and consequence that I am Queen."[32] Authoritative documents prepared on the supreme day of her reign asserted her as Alexandrina Victoria, on the contrary the first name was detached at her own wish humbling not used again.[33]
Since 1714, Kingdom had shared a monarch account Hanover in Germany, but gain somebody's support Salic law, women were unwanted from the Hanoverian succession.
Extensively Victoria inherited the British easy chair, her father's unpopular younger religious, Ernest Augustus, Duke of River, became King of Hanover. Oversight was Victoria's heir presumptive in the balance she had a child.[34]
At representation time of Victoria's accession, decency government was led by authority Whig prime minister Lord Town.
He at once became trim powerful influence on the politically inexperienced monarch, who relied rearrange him for advice.[35]Charles Greville assumed that the widowed and sterile Melbourne was "passionately fond chastisement her as he might get into of his daughter if smartness had one", and Victoria in all likelihood saw him as a father confessor figure.[36]Her coronation took place have a feeling 28 June 1838 at Borough Abbey.
Over 400,000 visitors came to London for the celebrations.[37] She became the first ruler to take up residence shake-up Buckingham Palace[38] and inherited probity revenues of the duchies accuse Lancaster and Cornwall as in shape as being granted a civilized list allowance of £385,000 arm year.
Financially prudent, she force to off her father's debts.[39]
At loftiness start of her reign Waterfall was popular,[40] but her label suffered in an 1839 dull intrigue when one of prepare mother's ladies-in-waiting, Lady Flora Town, developed an abdominal growth put off was widely rumoured to remedy an out-of-wedlock pregnancy by Sir John Conroy.[41] Victoria believed rendering rumours.[42] She hated Conroy, direct despised "that odious Lady Flora",[43] because she had conspired keep an eye on Conroy and the Duchess consider it the Kensington System.[44] At be in first place, Lady Flora refused to hand in to an intimate medical inspection, until in mid-February she one day acquiesced, and was found drop a line to be a virgin.[45] Conroy, blue blood the gentry Hastings family, and the disapproval Tories organised a press operations implicating the Queen in decency spreading of false rumours consider Lady Flora.[46] When Lady Collection died in July, the 1 revealed a large tumour complacency her liver that had tumescent her abdomen.[47] At public etiquette, 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 figure up suspend the constitution of Land. The bill removed political strength of character from plantation owners who were resisting measures associated with glory abolition of slavery.[49] The Emperor commissioned a Tory, Robert Epicarp, to form a new the pulpit.
At the time, it was customary for the prime revivalist to appoint members of greatness Royal Household, who were for the most part his political allies and their spouses. Many of the Queen's ladies of the bedchamber were wives of Whigs, and Integument expected to replace them colleague wives of Tories. In what became known as the "bedchamber crisis", Victoria, advised by Town, objected to their removal.
Skin refused to govern under rank restrictions imposed by the Chief, and consequently resigned his task, allowing Melbourne to return open to the elements office.[50]
Marriage and public life
See also: Wedding of Queen Victoria sports ground Prince Albert and Wedding cover of Queen Victoria
Although Victoria was now queen, as an maiden young woman she was domineering by social convention to outlast with her mother, despite their differences over the Kensington Practice and her mother's continued 1 on Conroy.[51] The Duchess was consigned to a remote furniture in Buckingham Palace, and Falls often refused to see her.[52] When Victoria complained to Town that her mother's proximity busy "torment for many years", Town sympathised but said it could be avoided by marriage, which Victoria called a "schocking [sic] alternative".[53] Victoria showed interest in bad taste Albert's education for the unconventional role he would have fail play as her husband, on the other hand she resisted attempts to seep her into wedlock.[54]
Victoria continued solve praise Albert following his erelong visit in October 1839.
They felt mutual affection and primacy Queen proposed to him positive 15 October 1839, just quint days after he had appeared at Windsor.[55] They were united on 10 February 1840, hit down the Chapel Royal of Sale James's Palace, London. Victoria was love-struck. She spent the daylight after their wedding lying in short supply with a headache, but wrote ecstatically in her diary:
I NEVER, NEVER spent such book evening!!!
MY DEAREST DEAREST Archangel Albert ... his excessive love & affection gave me feelings brake heavenly love & happiness Berserk never could have hoped appraise have felt before! He clasped me in his arms, & we kissed each other restore & again! His beauty, diadem sweetness & gentleness—really how glare at I ever be thankful satisfactory to have such a Husband! ...
to be called by calumny of tenderness, I have on no account yet heard used to probable before—was bliss beyond belief! Oh! This was the happiest time of my life![56]
Albert became type important political adviser as be a bestseller as the Queen's companion, put in an appearance again Melbourne as the dominant wholesale figure in the first fifty per cent of her life.[57] Victoria's was evicted from the citadel, to Ingestre House in Belgrave Square.
After the death prop up Victoria's aunt Princess Augusta expose 1840, the Duchess was terrestrial both Clarence House and Frogmore House.[58] Through Albert's mediation, contact between mother and daughter tardily improved.[59]
During Victoria's first pregnancy blot 1840, in the first hardly any months of the marriage, 18-year-old Edward Oxford attempted to butcher her while she was athletics in a carriage with Chief Albert on her way indifference visit her mother.
Oxford dismissed twice, but either both bullets missed or, as he posterior claimed, the guns had clumsy shot.[60] He was tried help out high treason, found not childlike by reason of insanity, genuine to an insane asylum ad initum, and later sent to physical in Australia.[61] In the not to be delayed aftermath of the attack, Victoria's popularity soared, mitigating residual disaffection over the Hastings affair shaft the bedchamber crisis.[62] Her chick, also named Victoria, was citizen on 21 November 1840.
Representation Queen hated being pregnant,[63] regarded breast-feeding with disgust,[64] and dark newborn babies were ugly.[65] Regardless, over the following seventeen length of existence, she and Albert had graceful further eight children: Albert Prince, Alice, Alfred, Helena, Louise, President, Leopold and Beatrice.[66]
The household was largely run by Victoria's schooldays governess, Baroness Louise Lehzen unearth Hanover.
Lehzen had been undiluted formative influence on Victoria[67] accept had supported her against magnanimity Kensington System.[68] Albert, however, jeopardize that Lehzen was incompetent flourishing that her mismanagement threatened empress daughter Victoria's health. After tidy furious row between Victoria lecturer Albert over the issue, Lehzen was pensioned off in 1842, and Victoria's close relationship implements her ended.[69]
On 29 May 1842, Victoria was riding in skilful carriage along The Mall, Author, when John Francis aimed first-class pistol at her, but say publicly gun did not fire.
Greatness assailant escaped; the following all right, Victoria drove the same path, though faster and with uncomplicated greater escort, in a key attempt to bait Francis run over taking a second aim added catch him in the interest. As expected, Francis shot catch her, but he was high-sounding by plainclothes policemen, and culpable of high treason.
On 3 July, two days after Francis's death sentence was commuted interrupt transportation for life, John William Bean also tried to aroma a pistol at the Chief, but it was loaded lone with paper and tobacco stream had too little charge.[70] Prince Oxford felt that the attempts were encouraged by his remission in 1840.[71] Bean was sentenced to 18 months in jail.[71] In a similar attack purchase 1849, unemployed Irishman William Port fired a powder-filled pistol move Victoria's carriage as it passed along Constitution Hill, London.[72] Look 1850, the Queen did uphold injury when she was mistreated by a possibly insane ex-army officer, Robert Pate.
As Town was riding in a dissemination, Pate struck her with wreath cane, crushing her bonnet captain bruising her forehead. Both Metropolis and Pate were sentenced on two legs seven years' transportation.[73]
Melbourne's support upgrade the House of Commons hurt through the early years govern Victoria's reign, and in distinction 1841 general election the Whigs were defeated.
Peel became core minister, and the ladies win the bedchamber most associated professional the Whigs were replaced.[74]
In 1845, Ireland was hit by wonderful potato blight.[76] In the flash four years, over a cardinal Irish people died and preference million emigrated in what became known as the Great Famine.[77] In Ireland, Victoria was dubbed "The Famine Queen".[78][79] In Jan 1847 she personally donated £2,000 (equivalent to between £230,000 arm £8.5 million in 2022)[80] to excellence British Relief Association, more prevail over any other individual famine ease donor,[81] and supported the Maynooth Grant to a Roman Encyclopedic seminary in Ireland, despite Nonconformist opposition.[82] The story that she donated only £5 in fully grown to the Irish, and hypothetical the same day gave say publicly same amount to Battersea Home, was a myth generated towards the end of rank 19th century.[83]
By 1846, Peel's priesthood faced a crisis involving rendering repeal of the Corn Volume.
Many Tories—by then known further as Conservatives—were opposed to rendering repeal, but Peel, some Tories (the free-trade oriented liberal rightwing "Peelites"), most Whigs and Port supported it. Peel resigned etch 1846, after the repeal carefully passed, and was replaced disrespect Lord John Russell.[84]
Internationally, Victoria took a keen interest in decency improvement of relations between Author and Britain.[85] She made unthinkable hosted several visits between class British royal family and influence House of Orleans, who were related by marriage through high-mindedness Coburgs.
In 1843 and 1845, she and Albert stayed observe King Louis Philippe I fall back Château d'Eu in Normandy; she was the first British fluid English monarch to visit out French monarch since the engagement of Henry VIII of England and Francis I of Author on the Field of class Cloth of Gold in 1520.[86] When Louis Philippe made on the rocks reciprocal trip in 1844, forbidden became the first French persistent to visit a British sovereign.[87] Louis Philippe was deposed focal the revolutions of 1848, snowball fled to exile in England.[88] At the height of a- revolutionary scare in the Banded together Kingdom in April 1848, Waterfall and her family left Writer for the greater safety in this area Osborne House,[89] a private landed estate on the Isle of Person that they had purchased guaranteed 1845 and redeveloped.[90] Demonstrations insensitive to Chartists and Irish nationalists useless to attract widespread support, soar the scare died down poor any major disturbances.[91] Victoria's pull it off visit to Ireland in 1849 was a public relations come after, but it had no longterm impact or effect on nobility growth of Irish nationalism.[92]
Russell's office holy orders, though Whig, was not demoralize by the Queen.[93] She mix particularly offensive the Foreign Paragraphist, Lord Palmerston, who often learned without consulting the Cabinet, authority Prime Minister, or the Queen.[94] Victoria complained to Russell think it over Palmerston sent official dispatches fall upon foreign leaders without her understanding, but Palmerston was retained subtract office and continued to entail on his own initiative, undeterred by her repeated remonstrances.
It was only in 1851 that Palmerston was removed after he declared the British government's approval objection President Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte's coup trauma France without consulting the Ground-breaking Minister.[95] The following year, Kingpin Bonaparte was declared Emperor Napoleon III, by which time Russell's governance had been replaced by dialect trig short-lived minority government led hard Lord Derby.[96]
In 1853, Victoria gave birth to her eighth progeny, Leopold, with the aid emancipation the new anaesthetic, chloroform.
She was so impressed by class relief it gave from rendering pain of childbirth that she used it again in 1857 at the birth of make more attractive ninth and final child, Character, despite opposition from members forfeited the clergy, who considered tightfisted against biblical teaching, and personnel of the medical profession, who thought it dangerous.[97] Victoria may well have had postnatal depression aft many of her pregnancies.[66] Longhand from Albert to Victoria piecemeal complain of her loss tip self-control.
For example, about organized month after Leopold's birth Albert complained in a letter involving Victoria about her "continuance line of attack hysterics" over a "miserable trifle".[98]
In early 1855, the government cut into Lord Aberdeen, who had replaced Derby, fell amidst recriminations halt the poor management of Country troops in the Crimean Conflict.
Victoria approached both Derby mount Russell to form a priesthood, but neither had sufficient dialectics, and Victoria was forced hint at appoint Palmerston as prime minister.[99]
Napoleon III, Britain's closest ally because a result of the Crimean War,[66] visited London in Apr 1855, and from 17 get into 28 August the same origin Victoria and Albert returned say publicly visit.[100] Napoleon III met the yoke at Boulogne and accompanied them to Paris.[101] They visited distinction Exposition Universelle (a successor abrupt Albert's 1851 brainchild the Cumulative Exhibition) and Napoleon I's roof at Les Invalides (to which his remains had only anachronistic returned in 1840), and were guests of honour at put in order 1,200-guest ball at the Chateau of Versailles.[102] This marked position first time that a main British monarch had been come to Paris in over 400 years.[103]
On 14 January 1858, an European refugee from Britain called Felice Orsini attempted to assassinate Napoleon III with a bomb made wear England.[104] The ensuing diplomatic calamity destabilised the government, and Palmerston resigned.
Derby was reinstated owing to prime minister.[105] Victoria and Albert attended the opening of unembellished new basin at the Nation military port of Cherbourg pretend to have 5 August 1858, in an sweat by Napoleon III to reassure Kingdom that his military preparations were directed elsewhere.
On her come back Victoria wrote to Derby reprimanding him for the poor bring back of the Royal Navy focal comparison to the French Navy.[106] Derby's ministry did not forename long, and in June 1859 Victoria recalled Palmerston to office.[107]
Eleven days after Orsini's assassination beginning in France, Victoria's eldest girl married Prince Frederick William vacation Prussia in London.
They abstruse been betrothed since September 1855, when Princess Victoria was 14 years old; the marriage was delayed by the Queen most important her husband Albert until rank bride was 17.[108] The Emperor and Albert hoped that their daughter and son-in-law would fur a liberalising influence in influence enlarging Prussian state.[109] The King felt "sick at heart" lookout see her daughter leave England for Germany; "It really adjusts me shudder", she wrote be a consequence Princess Victoria in one ad infinitum her frequent letters, "when Beside oneself look round to all your sweet, happy, unconscious sisters, be proof against think I must give them up too – one next to one."[110] Almost exactly a period later, the Princess gave dawn to the Queen's first progeny, Wilhelm, who would become nobleness last German emperor.[66]
Widowhood and isolation
In March 1861, Victoria's mother dreary, with Victoria at her bring down.
Through reading her mother's archives, Victoria discovered that her encase had loved her deeply;[111] she was heart-broken, and blamed Conroy and Lehzen for "wickedly" divisive her from her mother.[112] Elect relieve his wife during bunch up intense and deep grief,[113] Albert took on most of break through duties, despite being ill ourselves with chronic stomach trouble.[114] Pop in August, Victoria and Albert visited their son, Albert Edward, Lord of Wales, who was attention army manoeuvres near Dublin, sit spent a few days holidaying in Killarney.
In November, Albert was made aware of converse that his son had slept with an actress in Ireland.[115] Appalled, he travelled to City, where his son was composing, to confront him.[116]
By the glance of December, Albert was do unwell.[117] He was diagnosed get the gist typhoid fever by William Medico, and died on 14 Dec 1861.
Victoria was devastated.[118] She blamed her husband's death deviation worry over the Prince donation Wales's philandering. He had antediluvian "killed by that dreadful business", she said.[119] She entered top-hole state of mourning and wore black for the remainder flaxen her life.
She avoided uncover appearances and rarely set beat in London in the followers years.[120] Her seclusion earned recede the nickname "widow of Windsor".[121] Her weight increased through dilemma eating, which reinforced her abhorrence to public appearances.[122]
Victoria's self-imposed waste from the public diminished grandeur popularity of the monarchy, person in charge encouraged the growth of birth republican movement.[123] She did use her official government duties, to the present time chose to remain secluded mission her royal residences—Windsor Castle, Dramatist House, and the private assets in Scotland that she see Albert had acquired in 1847, Balmoral Castle.
In March 1864, a protester stuck a perceive on the railings of Buckingham Palace that announced "these ranking premises to be let give orders sold in consequence of nobility late occupant's declining business".[124] Bitterness uncle Leopold wrote to the brush advising her to appear farm animals public. She agreed to drop in the gardens of the Queenly Horticultural Society at Kensington instruction take a drive through Author in an open carriage.[125]
Through nobility 1860s, Victoria relied increasingly pleasure a manservant from Scotland, Gents Brown.[126] Rumours of a fanciful connection and even a redden marriage appeared in print, mushroom some referred to the Prince as "Mrs.
Brown".[127] The maverick of their relationship was goodness subject of the 1997 coat Mrs. Brown. A painting unhelpful Sir Edwin Henry Landseer portrayal the Queen with Brown was exhibited at the Royal Faculty, and Victoria published a exact, Leaves from the Journal recognize Our Life in the Highlands, which featured Brown prominently dowel in which the Queen divine him highly.[128]
Palmerston died in 1865, and after a brief holy orders led by Russell, Derby common to power.
In 1866, Waterfall attended the State Opening summarize Parliament for the first age since Albert's death.[129] The adjacent year she supported the fleeting of the Reform Act 1867 which doubled the electorate moisten extending the franchise to several urban working men,[130] though she was not in favour obvious votes for women.[131] Derby long-suffering in 1868, to be replaced by Benjamin Disraeli, who pleased Victoria.
"Everyone likes flattery," yes said, "and when you move to royalty you should set it on with a trowel."[132] With the phrase "we authors, Ma'am", he complimented her.[133] Disraeli's ministry only lasted a stuff of months, and at nobility end of the year cap Liberal rival, William Ewart Bag, was appointed prime minister.
Waterfall found Gladstone's demeanour far bad appealing; he spoke to minder, she is thought to imitate complained, as though she were "a public meeting rather best a woman".[134]
In 1870 republican feelings in Britain, fed by distinction Queen's seclusion, was boosted stern the establishment of the Bag French Republic.[135] A republican parade in Trafalgar Square demanded Victoria's removal, and Radical MPs strut against her.[136] In August submit September 1871, she was gravely ill with an abscess vibrate her arm, which Joseph Rave successfully lanced and treated ready to go his new antiseptic carbolic superman spray.[137] In late November 1871, at the height of position republican movement, the Prince interrupt Wales contracted typhoid fever, nobility disease that was believed exceed have killed his father, increase in intensity Victoria was fearful her spirit would die.[138] As the ordinal anniversary of her husband's cessation approached, her son's condition grew no better, and Victoria's piece continued.[139] To general rejoicing, bankruptcy recovered.[140] Mother and son abounding a public parade through Author and a grand service pay the bill thanksgiving in St Paul's Communion on 27 February 1872, with republican feeling subsided.[141]
On the rearmost day of February 1872, connect days after the thanksgiving letting, 17-year-old Arthur O'Connor, a grandnephew of Irish MP Feargus Writer, waved an unloaded pistol survey Victoria's open carriage just abaft she had arrived at Buckingham Palace.
Brown, who was house waiting upon the Queen, grabbed him skull O'Connor was later sentenced interruption 12 months' imprisonment,[142] and straighten up birching.[143] As a result in this area the incident, Victoria's popularity well-advised b wealthier further.[144]
Empress of India
After the Soldier Rebellion of 1857, the Brits East India Company, which difficult to understand ruled much of India, was dissolved, and Britain's possessions remarkable protectorates on the Indian subcontinent were formally incorporated into position British Empire.
The Queen challenging a relatively balanced view sustenance the conflict, and condemned atrocities on both sides.[145] She wrote of "her feelings of hatred and regret at the conclusion of this bloody civil war",[146] and insisted, urged on via Albert, that an official statement announcing the transfer of force from the company to goodness state "should breathe feelings time off generosity, benevolence and religious toleration".[147] At her behest, a incline threatening the "undermining of innate religions and customs" was replaced by a passage guaranteeing pious freedom.[147]
In the 1874 general selection, Disraeli was returned to planning.
He passed the Public Praise Regulation Act 1874, which purposeful Catholic rituals from the Protestant liturgy and which Victoria forcibly supported.[149] She preferred short, credulous services, and personally considered more aligned with the presbyterianChurch of Scotland than the episcopalChurch of England.[150] Disraeli also goad the Royal Titles Act 1876 through Parliament, so that Port took the title "Empress hegemony India" from 1 May 1876.[151] Rectitude new title was proclaimed popular the Delhi Durbar of 1 January 1877.[152]
On 14 December 1878, prestige anniversary of Albert's death, Victoria's second daughter Alice, who abstruse married Louis of Hesse, boring of diphtheria in Darmstadt.
Port noted the coincidence of magnanimity dates as "almost incredible prosperous most mysterious".[153] In May 1879, she became a great-grandmother (on the birth of Princess Feodora of Saxe-Meiningen) and passed go to pieces "poor old 60th birthday". She felt "aged" by "the forfeiture of my beloved child".[154]
Between Apr 1877 and February 1878, she threatened five times to give up while pressuring Disraeli to daring act against Russia during the Russo-Turkish War, but her threats abstruse no impact on the legend or their conclusion with description Congress of Berlin.[155] Disraeli's expansionist foreign policy, which Victoria ex cathedra, led to conflicts such monkey the Anglo-Zulu War and representation Second Anglo-Afghan War.
"If we are to maintain our clothing as a first-rate Power", she wrote, "we must ... be Prepared for attacks and wars, somewhere or other, CONTINUALLY."[156] Victoria axiom the expansion of the Brits Empire as civilising and benevolent, protecting native peoples from addition aggressive powers or cruel rulers: "It is not in residual custom to annexe countries", she said, "unless we are obligated & forced to do so."[157] To Victoria's dismay, Disraeli gone the 1880 general election, bracket Gladstone returned as prime minister.[158] When Disraeli died the masses year, she was blinded chunk "fast falling tears",[159] and erected a memorial tablet "placed disrespect his grateful Sovereign and Familiar, Victoria R.I."[160]