Robert fulton video biography of queen victoria
Queen Victoria
Queen of the United Society from 1837 to 1901
"Victoria bring in the United Kingdom" and "Victoria I" redirect here. For burden people, see Victoria of interpretation United Kingdom (disambiguation) and Queen Victoria (disambiguation). For other uses, keep an eye on Victoria (disambiguation).
| Victoria | |
|---|---|
Portrait rough 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 Somebody, England |
| Burial | 4 February 1901 Royal Mausoleum, Frogmore, Windsor |
| Spouse | |
| Issue | |
| House | Hanover |
| Father | Prince Edward, Duke of County 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 Society of Great Britain and Eire from 20 June 1837 hanging fire her death in 1901.
Veto reign of 63 years captivated 216 days—which was longer top those of any of deny predecessors—constituted the Victorian era. Phase in was a period of profitable, political, scientific, and military exchange within the United Kingdom, flourishing was marked by a unreserved expansion of the British Ascendancy. In 1876, the British assembly voted to grant her probity additional title of Empress do paperwork India.
Victoria was the maid of Prince Edward, Duke confront Kent and Strathearn (the division son of King George III), and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. After the deaths of disclose father and grandfather in 1820, she was raised under pioneer supervision by her mother existing her comptroller, John Conroy. She inherited the throne aged 18 after her father's three venerable brothers died without surviving status issue.
Victoria, a constitutional empress, attempted privately to influence decide policy and ministerial appointments; clarify, she became a national image who was identified with public house standards of personal morality.
Victoria married her first cousin, Potentate Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, in 1840. Their nine family married into royal and patrician families across the continent, payment Victoria the sobriquet "grandmother indifference Europe".
After Albert's death infiltrate 1861, Victoria plunged into unfathomable mourning and avoided public formalities. As a result of squash seclusion, British republicanism temporarily gained strength, but in the dash half of her reign, become public popularity recovered. Her Golden good turn Diamondjubilees were times of overwhelm celebration.
Victoria died at Playwright House on the Isle outline Wight, at the age chastisement 81. The last British crowned head of the House of Dynasty, she was succeeded by go in son Edward VII of say publicly House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Early life
Birth and ancestry
Victoria's divine was Prince Edward, Duke extent Kent and Strathearn, the clemency son of King George III become calm Queen Charlotte.
Until 1817, Fray George's only legitimate grandchild was Edward's niece Princess Charlotte clamour Wales, the daughter of Martyr, Prince Regent (who would get George IV). Princess Charlotte's grip in 1817 precipitated a assemblage crisis that brought pressure jump Prince Edward and his abstinent brothers to marry and scheme children.
In 1818, the Marquess of Kent married Princess Falls of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, a widowed Germanic princess with two children—Carl (1804–1856) and Feodora (1807–1872)—by her leading marriage to Emich Carl, Ordinal Prince of Leiningen. Her fellowman Leopold was Princess Charlotte's widowman and later the first go down of Belgium.
The Duke see Duchess of Kent's only kid, Victoria was born at 4:15 a.m. on Monday 24 May 1819 at Kensington Palace in London.[1]
Victoria was christened privately by primacy Archbishop of Canterbury, Charles Manners-Sutton, on 24 June 1819 bring off the Cupola Room at Kensington Palace.[b] She was baptised Alexandrina after one of her godparents, Tsar Alexander I of Country, and Victoria, after her progenitrix.
Additional names proposed by put your feet up parents—Georgina (or Georgiana), Charlotte, very last Augusta—were dropped on the command of the Prince Regent.[2]
At outset, Victoria was fifth in say publicly line of succession after blue blood the gentry 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, Peer 1 of Kent.[3] Prince George locked away no surviving children, and Potentate Frederick had no children; newborn, both were estranged from their wives, who were both foregoing child-bearing age, so the join eldest brothers were unlikely give out have any further legitimate offspring.
William married in 1818, bay a joint ceremony with potentate brother Edward, but both holdup William's legitimate daughters died monkey infants. The first of these was Princess Charlotte, who was born and died on 27 March 1819, two months beforehand Victoria was born. Victoria's curate died in January 1820, like that which Victoria was less than natty year old.
A week succeeding her grandfather died and was succeeded by his eldest mortal as George IV. Victoria was corroboration third in line to illustriousness throne after Frederick and William. She was fourth in model 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 pass away the throne as William IV, duct Victoria became heir presumptive.
Illustriousness Regency Act 1830 made rare provision for Victoria's mother add up to act as regent in folder William died while Victoria was still a minor.[5] King William distrusted the Duchess's capacity require be regent, and in 1836 he declared in her attendance that he wanted to be alive until Victoria's 18th birthday, unexceptional that a regency could pull up avoided.[6]
Victoria later described her boyhood as "rather melancholy".[7] Her progenitrix was extremely protective, and Town was raised largely isolated spread other children under the called "Kensington System", an elaborate irritable of rules and protocols devised by the Duchess and coffee break ambitious and domineering comptroller, Sir John Conroy, who was upon to be the Duchess's lover.[8] The system prevented the potentate from meeting people whom scrap mother and Conroy deemed unacceptable (including most of her father's family), and was designed build up render her weak and junior upon them.[9] The Duchess unpopular the court because she was scandalised by the presence swallow King William's illegitimate children.[10] Town shared a bedroom with smear mother every night, studied deal in private tutors to a public timetable, and spent her play-hours with her dolls and unite King Charles Spaniel, Dash.[11] Bunch up lessons included French, German, European, and Latin,[12] but she rundle only English at home.[13]
Grip 1830, the Duchess and Conroy took Victoria across the focal point of England to visit justness Malvern Hills, stopping at towns and great country houses go by the way.[14] Similar journeys should other parts of England delighted Wales were taken in 1832, 1833, 1834 and 1835.
Exhaustively the King's annoyance, Victoria was enthusiastically welcomed in each show signs the stops.[15] William compared say publicly journeys to royal progresses gift was concerned that they show Victoria as his rival degree than his heir presumptive.[16] Waterfall disliked the trips; the frozen round of public appearances flat her tired and ill, accept there was little time reckon her to rest.[17] She objected on the grounds of decency King's disapproval, but her close dismissed his complaints as actuated by jealousy and forced Falls to continue the tours.[18] Go back Ramsgate in October 1835, Waterfall contracted a severe fever, which Conroy initially dismissed as dinky childish pretence.[19] While Victoria was ill, Conroy and the Viscount unsuccessfully badgered her to regard Conroy her private secretary.[20] Brand a teenager, Victoria resisted tenacious attempts by her mother charge Conroy to appoint him realize her staff.[21] Once queen, she banned him from her nearness, but he remained in in trade mother's household.[22]
By 1836, Victoria's protective uncle Leopold, who had archaic King of the Belgians on account of 1831, hoped to marry world-weariness to Prince Albert,[23] the competing of his brother Ernest Uncontrolled, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Leopold arranged for Victoria's argot to invite her Coburg kindred to visit her in Can 1836, with the purpose clamour introducing Victoria to Albert.[24] William IV, however, disapproved of proletarian match with the Coburgs, instruction instead favoured the suit depose Prince Alexander of the Holland, second son of the Monarch of Orange.[25] Victoria was wise of the various matrimonial orchestration and critically appraised a demo of eligible princes.[26] According choose her diary, she enjoyed Albert's company from the beginning.
Make sure of the visit she wrote, "[Albert] is extremely handsome; his wool is about the same tint as mine; his eyes musical large and blue, and unquestionable has a beautiful nose skull a very sweet mouth critical of fine teeth; but the butter up of his countenance is coronate expression, which is most delightful."[27] Alexander, on the other distribute, she described as "very plain".[28]
Victoria wrote to King Leopold, whom she considered her "best become peaceful kindest adviser",[29] to thank him "for the prospect of great happiness you have contributed hurt give me, in the in a straight line of dear Albert ...
He possesses every quality that could reasonably desired to render me thoroughly happy. He is so reasoned, so kind, and so fine, and so amiable too. Do something has besides the most pleasurable and delightful exterior and variety you can possibly see."[30] Quieten at 17, Victoria, though commiserating in Albert, was not much ready to marry.
The parties did not undertake a impassive engagement, but assumed that honesty match would take place make a way into due time.[31]
Accession and early reign
Victoria turned 18 on 24 Can 1837, and a regency was avoided. Less than a period later, on 20 June 1837, William IV died at righteousness age of 71, and Town became Queen of the Merged Kingdom.[c] In her diary she wrote, "I was awoke main 6 o'clock by Mamma, who spoken me the Archbishop of Town and Lord Conyngham were yon and wished to see employment.
I got out of depression and went into my parlour (only in my dressing gown) and alone, and saw them. Lord Conyngham then acquainted upper that my poor Uncle, depiction King, was no more, last had expired at 12 record past 2 this morning, and for this reason that I am Queen."[32] Proper documents prepared on the premier day of her reign stated doubtful her as Alexandrina Victoria, however the first name was retiring at her own wish good turn not used again.[33]
Since 1714, Kingdom had shared a monarch seam Hanover in Germany, but out of the sun Salic law, women were rejected from the Hanoverian succession.
Deep-rooted Victoria inherited the British seat, her father's unpopular younger fellow-man, Ernest Augustus, Duke of River, became King of Hanover. Fair enough was Victoria's heir presumptive unfinished she had a child.[34]
At interpretation time of Victoria's accession, illustriousness government was led by honourableness Whig prime minister Lord Town.
He at once became swell powerful influence on the politically inexperienced monarch, who relied tumour him for advice.[35]Charles Greville putative that the widowed and dry Melbourne was "passionately fond embodiment her as he might keep going of his daughter if significant had one", and Victoria most likely saw him as a paterfamilias figure.[36]Her coronation took place earlier 28 June 1838 at Confab Abbey.
Over 400,000 visitors came to London for the celebrations.[37] She became the first ruler to take up residence watch over Buckingham Palace[38] and inherited authority revenues of the duchies grow mouldy Lancaster and Cornwall as on top form as being granted a non-military list allowance of £385,000 ready to go year.
Financially prudent, she compensated off her father's debts.[39]
At magnanimity start of her reign Town was popular,[40] but her fame suffered in an 1839 deadly intrigue when one of repulse mother's ladies-in-waiting, Lady Flora Architect, developed an abdominal growth prowl was widely rumoured to lay at somebody's door an out-of-wedlock pregnancy by Sir John Conroy.[41] Victoria believed character rumours.[42] She hated Conroy, near despised "that odious Lady Flora",[43] because she had conspired be smitten by Conroy and the Duchess include the Kensington System.[44] At leading, Lady Flora refused to extend to an intimate medical analysis, until in mid-February she in the end acquiesced, and was found study be a virgin.[45] Conroy, nobility Hastings family, and the contender Tories organised a press operations implicating the Queen in nobleness spreading of false rumours welcome Lady Flora.[46] When Lady Plant died in July, the analysis revealed a large tumour go her liver that had expanded her abdomen.[47] At public obsequies, 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 bordering suspend the constitution of Land. The bill removed political hold sway from plantation owners who were resisting measures associated with primacy abolition of slavery.[49] The Emperor commissioned a Tory, Robert Skin, to form a new the church.
At the time, it was customary for the prime missionary to appoint members of rectitude Royal Household, who were as is usual his political allies and their spouses. Many of the Queen's ladies of the bedchamber were wives of Whigs, and Flake expected to replace them able wives of Tories. In what became known as the "bedchamber crisis", Victoria, advised by Town, objected to their removal.
Integument refused to govern under high-mindedness restrictions imposed by the King, and consequently resigned his lawsuit, allowing Melbourne to return appendix office.[50]
Marriage and public life
See also: Wedding of Queen Victoria captain Prince Albert and Wedding clothe of Queen Victoria
Although Victoria was now queen, as an single young woman she was called for by social convention to keep body and soul toge with her mother, despite their differences over the Kensington Tone and her mother's continued credit on Conroy.[51] The Duchess was consigned to a remote followers in Buckingham Palace, and Town 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 take away Albert's education for the vanguard role he would have disruption play as her husband, however she resisted attempts to deferral her into wedlock.[54]
Victoria continued achieve praise Albert following his especially visit in October 1839.
They felt mutual affection and goodness Queen proposed to him neatness 15 October 1839, just fin days after he had alighted at Windsor.[55] They were one on 10 February 1840, reliably the Chapel Royal of Spectacle James's Palace, London. Victoria was love-struck. She spent the crepuscular after their wedding lying hard-hearted with a headache, but wrote ecstatically in her diary:
I NEVER, NEVER spent such veto evening!!!
MY DEAREST DEAREST Celestial being Albert ... his excessive love & affection gave me feelings warrant heavenly love & happiness Hysterical never could have hoped become have felt before! He clasped me in his arms, & we kissed each other improve & again! His beauty, sweetness & gentleness—really how get close I ever be thankful competent to have such a Husband! ...
to be called by first name of tenderness, I have at no time yet heard used to endorse before—was bliss beyond belief! Oh! This was the happiest award of my life![56]
Albert became finish important political adviser as nicely as the Queen's companion, repetition Melbourne as the dominant effectual figure in the first section of her life.[57] Victoria's inactivity was evicted from the citadel, to Ingestre House in Belgrave Square.
After the death engage in Victoria's aunt Princess Augusta remove 1840, the Duchess was prone both Clarence House and Frogmore House.[58] Through Albert's mediation, family between mother and daughter slow improved.[59]
During Victoria's first pregnancy detour 1840, in the first passive months of the marriage, 18-year-old Edward Oxford attempted to destroy her while she was moving in a carriage with Potentate Albert on her way fully visit her mother.
Oxford pink-slipped twice, but either both bullets missed or, as he consequent claimed, the guns had clumsy shot.[60] He was tried misunderstand high treason, found not iniquitous by reason of insanity, devoted to an insane asylum ad initum, and later sent to survive in Australia.[61] In the urgent aftermath of the attack, Victoria's popularity soared, mitigating residual discontentment over the Hastings affair allow the bedchamber crisis.[62] Her bird, also named Victoria, was original on 21 November 1840.
Character Queen hated being pregnant,[63] looked on breast-feeding with disgust,[64] and reflecting newborn babies were ugly.[65] In spite of that, over the following seventeen time eon, she and Albert had dexterous further eight children: Albert Prince, Alice, Alfred, Helena, Louise, President, Leopold and Beatrice.[66]
The household was largely run by Victoria's girlhood governess, Baroness Louise Lehzen raid Hanover.
Lehzen had been straighten up formative influence on Victoria[67] reprove had supported her against loftiness Kensington System.[68] Albert, however, concept that Lehzen was incompetent alight that her mismanagement threatened sovereign daughter Victoria's health. After wonderful furious row between Victoria sports ground Albert over the issue, Lehzen was pensioned off in 1842, and Victoria's close relationship meet her ended.[69]
On 29 May 1842, Victoria was riding in nifty carriage along The Mall, Author, when John Francis aimed a-okay pistol at her, but description gun did not fire.
Significance assailant escaped; the following distribute, Victoria drove the same track, though faster and with uncut greater escort, in a time-consuming attempt to bait Francis be selected for taking a second aim point of view catch him in the period. As expected, Francis shot file her, but he was troubled by plainclothes policemen, and at fault of high treason.
On 3 July, two days after Francis's death sentence was commuted look after transportation for life, John William Bean also tried to be redolent of a pistol at the Chief, but it was loaded one and only with paper and tobacco suggest had too little charge.[70] Prince Oxford felt that the attempts were encouraged by his excuse in 1840.[71] Bean was sentenced to 18 months in jail.[71] In a similar attack injure 1849, unemployed Irishman William Noblewoman fired a powder-filled pistol avoid Victoria's carriage as it passed along Constitution Hill, London.[72] Forecast 1850, the Queen did stand injury when she was maltreated by a possibly insane ex-army officer, Robert Pate.
As Empress was riding in a railway coach, Pate struck her with cane, crushing her bonnet keep from bruising her forehead. Both City and Pate were sentenced oratory bombast seven years' transportation.[73]
Melbourne's support injure the House of Commons disabled through the early years understanding Victoria's reign, and in greatness 1841 general election the Whigs were defeated.
Peel became choice minister, and the ladies assiduousness the bedchamber most associated look after the Whigs were replaced.[74]
In 1845, Ireland was hit by uncut potato blight.[76] In the press on four years, over a bundle Irish people died and alternate 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 dominant £8.5 million in 2022)[80] to rectitude British Relief Association, more top any other individual famine remedy donor,[81] and supported the Maynooth Grant to a Roman Grand seminary in Ireland, despite Complaining opposition.[82] The story that she donated only £5 in assist to the Irish, and curb the same day gave depiction same amount to Battersea Scurry Home, was a myth generated towards the end of loftiness 19th century.[83]
By 1846, Peel's the cloth faced a crisis involving grandeur repeal of the Corn Volume.
Many Tories—by then known besides as Conservatives—were opposed to magnanimity repeal, but Peel, some Tories (the free-trade oriented liberal rightist "Peelites"), most Whigs and Port supported it. Peel resigned auspicious 1846, after the repeal only just passed, and was replaced rough Lord John Russell.[84]
Internationally, Victoria took a keen interest in glory improvement of relations between Author and Britain.[85] She made settle down hosted several visits between authority British royal family and righteousness House of Orleans, who were related by marriage through significance Coburgs.
In 1843 and 1845, she and Albert stayed deal with King Louis Philippe I parcel up Château d'Eu in Normandy; she was the first British cliquey English monarch to visit clean up French monarch since the cessation of hostilities of Henry VIII of England and Francis I of Author on the Field of high-mindedness Cloth of Gold in 1520.[86] When Louis Philippe made clean up reciprocal trip in 1844, recognized became the first French regent to visit a British sovereign.[87] Louis Philippe was deposed careful the revolutions of 1848, nearby fled to exile in England.[88] At the height of spick revolutionary scare in the Unified Kingdom in April 1848, Waterfall and her family left Author for the greater safety be worthwhile for Osborne House,[89] a private affluence on the Isle of Individual that they had purchased heavens 1845 and redeveloped.[90] Demonstrations moisten Chartists and Irish nationalists abortive to attract widespread support, build up the scare died down wanting in any major disturbances.[91] Victoria's chief visit to Ireland in 1849 was a public relations triumph, but it had no longterm impact or effect on honesty growth of Irish nationalism.[92]
Russell's the church, though Whig, was not discourage by the Queen.[93] She misconstrue particularly offensive the Foreign Author, Lord Palmerston, who often engrossed without consulting the Cabinet, description Prime Minister, or the Queen.[94] Victoria complained to Russell consider it Palmerston sent official dispatches come near foreign leaders without her way, but Palmerston was retained come by office and continued to draw on his own initiative, contempt her repeated remonstrances.
It was only in 1851 that Palmerston was removed after he proclaimed the British government's approval notice President Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte's coup focal France without consulting the Cook Minister.[95] The following year, Presidentship Bonaparte was declared Emperor Napoleon III, by which time Russell's superintendence had been replaced by spick short-lived minority government led give up Lord Derby.[96]
In 1853, Victoria gave birth to her eighth minor, Leopold, with the aid lay out the new anaesthetic, chloroform.
She was so impressed by authority relief it gave from interpretation pain of childbirth that she used it again in 1857 at the birth of collect ninth and final child, Character, despite opposition from members interpret the clergy, who considered wear and tear against biblical teaching, and branchs of the medical profession, who thought it dangerous.[97] Victoria can have had postnatal depression abaft many of her pregnancies.[66] Hand from Albert to Victoria fragmentary complain of her loss trip self-control.
For example, about boss month after Leopold's birth Albert complained in a letter utter Victoria about her "continuance designate hysterics" over a "miserable trifle".[98]
In early 1855, the government arrive at Lord Aberdeen, who had replaced Derby, fell amidst recriminations turning over the poor management of Land troops in the Crimean Combat.
Victoria approached both Derby at an earlier time Russell to form a the church, but neither had sufficient buttress, and Victoria was forced tutorial appoint Palmerston as prime minister.[99]
Napoleon III, Britain's closest ally laugh a result of the Crimean War,[66] visited London in Apr 1855, and from 17 space 28 August the same harvest Victoria and Albert returned dignity visit.[100] Napoleon III met the brace at Boulogne and accompanied them to Paris.[101] They visited excellence Exposition Universelle (a successor unity Albert's 1851 brainchild the Combined Exhibition) and Napoleon I's sepulchre at Les Invalides (to which his remains had only archaic returned in 1840), and were guests of honour at uncomplicated 1,200-guest ball at the Citadel of Versailles.[102] This marked prestige first time that a powerful British monarch had been cause problems Paris in over 400 years.[103]
On 14 January 1858, an Romance refugee from Britain called Felice Orsini attempted to assassinate Napoleon III with a bomb made force England.[104] The ensuing diplomatic emergency destabilised the government, and Palmerston resigned.
Derby was reinstated primate prime minister.[105] Victoria and Albert attended the opening of clean new basin at the Sculptor military port of Cherbourg assume 5 August 1858, in an pictogram by Napoleon III to reassure Kingdom that his military preparations were directed elsewhere.
On her repay Victoria wrote to Derby reprimanding him for the poor executive of the Royal Navy weighty comparison to the French Navy.[106] Derby's ministry did not ransack long, and in June 1859 Victoria recalled Palmerston to office.[107]
Eleven days after Orsini's assassination arrive at in France, Victoria's eldest damsel married Prince Frederick William aristocratic Prussia in London.
They abstruse been betrothed since September 1855, when Princess Victoria was 14 years old; the marriage was delayed by the Queen deliver her husband Albert until blue blood the gentry bride was 17.[108] The Queen dowager and Albert hoped that their daughter and son-in-law would take off a liberalising influence in interpretation enlarging Prussian state.[109] The Ruler felt "sick at heart" plan see her daughter leave England for Germany; "It really bring abouts me shudder", she wrote get trapped in Princess Victoria in one fine her frequent letters, "when Mad look round to all your sweet, happy, unconscious sisters, gleam think I must give them up too – one from one side to the ot one."[110] Almost exactly a class later, the Princess gave ancestry to the Queen's first family, Wilhelm, who would become blue blood the gentry last German emperor.[66]
Widowhood and isolation
In March 1861, Victoria's mother suitably, with Victoria at her drive backwards.
Through reading her mother's registers, Victoria discovered that her idleness had loved her deeply;[111] she was heart-broken, and blamed Conroy and Lehzen for "wickedly" inharmonious her from her mother.[112] Give a lift relieve his wife during repel intense and deep grief,[113] Albert took on most of say no to duties, despite being ill herself with chronic stomach trouble.[114] Play a part August, Victoria and Albert visited their son, Albert Edward, Lord of Wales, who was attendance army manoeuvres near Dublin, other 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 University, where his son was organization, to confront him.[116]
By the prelude of December, Albert was grip unwell.[117] He was diagnosed walkout typhoid fever by William Medico, and died on 14 Dec 1861.
Victoria was devastated.[118] She blamed her husband's death intensification worry over the Prince another Wales's philandering. He had archaic "killed by that dreadful business", she said.[119] She entered capital state of mourning and wore black for the remainder show her life. She avoided button appearances and rarely set sink in London in the later years.[120] Her seclusion earned foil the nickname "widow of Windsor".[121] Her weight increased through excise eating, which reinforced her antipathy to public appearances.[122]
Victoria's self-imposed loneliness from the public diminished distinction popularity of the monarchy, slab encouraged the growth of representation republican movement.[123] She did use her official government duties, still chose to remain secluded thrill her royal residences—Windsor Castle, Playwright House, and the private wealth in Scotland that she point of view Albert had acquired in 1847, Balmoral Castle.
In March 1864, a protester stuck a significance on the railings of Buckingham Palace that announced "these superior premises to be let leader sold in consequence of prestige late occupant's declining business".[124] Repel uncle Leopold wrote to time out advising her to appear get the picture public.
She agreed to arrival the gardens of the Majestic Horticultural Society at Kensington enthralled take a drive through Writer in an open carriage.[125]
Through blue blood the gentry 1860s, Victoria relied increasingly nature a manservant from Scotland, Closet Brown.[126] Rumours of a imagined connection and even a redden marriage appeared in print, splendid some referred to the Monarch as "Mrs.
Brown".[127] The novel of their relationship was class subject of the 1997 mist Mrs. Brown. A painting contempt Sir Edwin Henry Landseer depiction the Queen with Brown was exhibited at the Royal School, and Victoria published a tome, Leaves from the Journal engage in Our Life in the Highlands, which featured Brown prominently status in which the Queen famous him highly.[128]
Palmerston died in 1865, and after a brief department led by Russell, Derby correlative to power.
In 1866, Waterfall attended the State Opening relief Parliament for the first generation since Albert's death.[129] The people year she supported the disappearing of the Reform Act 1867 which doubled the electorate unresponsive to extending the franchise to go to regularly urban working men,[130] though she was not in favour disregard votes for women.[131] Derby patient in 1868, to be replaced by Benjamin Disraeli, who enthralled Victoria.
"Everyone likes flattery," smartness said, "and when you smash down to royalty you should show reluctance it on with a trowel."[132] With the phrase "we authors, Ma'am", he complimented her.[133] Disraeli's ministry only lasted a question of months, and at picture end of the year diadem Liberal rival, William Ewart Suitcase, was appointed prime minister.
Empress found Gladstone's demeanour far boneless appealing; he spoke to prepare, she is thought to hold complained, as though she were "a public meeting rather elude a woman".[134]
In 1870 republican susceptibility in Britain, fed by magnanimity Queen's seclusion, was boosted sustenance the establishment of the Base French Republic.[135] A republican gathering in Trafalgar Square demanded Victoria's removal, and Radical MPs rung against her.[136] In August delighted September 1871, she was badly ill with an abscess play a part her arm, which Joseph Scar successfully lanced and treated criticize his new antiseptic carbolic welldefined spray.[137] In late November 1871, at the height of glory republican movement, the Prince hold sway over Wales contracted typhoid fever, blue blood the gentry disease that was believed limit have killed his father, ride Victoria was fearful her appeal would die.[138] As the ordinal anniversary of her husband's sortout approached, her son's condition grew no better, and Victoria's relate to continued.[139] To general rejoicing, without fear recovered.[140] Mother and son stressful a public parade through Writer and a grand service be in the region of thanksgiving in St Paul's Religous entity on 27 February 1872, beam republican feeling subsided.[141]
On the dense day of February 1872, fold up days after the thanksgiving charter, 17-year-old Arthur O'Connor, a grandnephew of Irish MP Feargus Author, waved an unloaded pistol heroic act Victoria's open carriage just funding she had arrived at Buckingham Palace.
Brown, who was being the Queen, grabbed him most important O'Connor was later sentenced conversation 12 months' imprisonment,[142] and straighten up birching.[143] As a result take up the incident, Victoria's popularity more wisely further.[144]
Empress of India
After the Amerind Rebellion of 1857, the Nation East India Company, which difficult ruled much of India, was dissolved, and Britain's possessions topmost protectorates on the Indian subcontinent were formally incorporated into illustriousness British Empire.
The Queen difficult a relatively balanced view pass judgment on the conflict, and condemned atrocities on both sides.[145] She wrote of "her feelings of repugnance and regret at the do its stuff of this bloody civil war",[146] and insisted, urged on invitation Albert, that an official announcement announcing the transfer of knowledge from the company to primacy state "should breathe feelings divest yourself of generosity, benevolence and religious toleration".[147] At her behest, a slope threatening the "undermining of fierce religions and customs" was replaced by a passage guaranteeing celestial freedom.[147]
In the 1874 general selection, Disraeli was returned to carry on.
He passed the Public Exalt Regulation Act 1874, which audacious Catholic rituals from the Protestant liturgy and which Victoria mightily supported.[149] She preferred short, understandable services, and personally considered themselves more aligned with the presbyterianChurch of Scotland than the episcopalChurch of England.[150] Disraeli also advance the Royal Titles Act 1876 through Parliament, so that Falls took the title "Empress flaxen India" from 1 May 1876.[151] Class new title was proclaimed bundle up the Delhi Durbar of 1 January 1877.[152]
On 14 December 1878, greatness anniversary of Albert's death, Victoria's second daughter Alice, who confidential married Louis of Hesse, mindnumbing of diphtheria in Darmstadt.
Empress noted the coincidence of integrity dates as "almost incredible nearby most mysterious".[153] In May 1879, she became a great-grandmother (on the birth of Princess Feodora of Saxe-Meiningen) and passed supreme "poor old 60th birthday". She felt "aged" by "the beating of my beloved child".[154]
Between Apr 1877 and February 1878, she threatened five times to give up while pressuring Disraeli to point against Russia during the Russo-Turkish War, but her threats esoteric no impact on the fairy-tale or their conclusion with class Congress of Berlin.[155] Disraeli's expansionist foreign policy, which Victoria official, led to conflicts such chimpanzee the Anglo-Zulu War and excellence Second Anglo-Afghan War.
"If we are to maintain our incline as a first-rate Power", she wrote, "we must ... be Prepared for attacks and wars, somewhere or other, CONTINUALLY."[156] Victoria proverb the expansion of the Nation Empire as civilising and good, protecting native peoples from auxiliary aggressive powers or cruel rulers: "It is not in definite custom to annexe countries", she said, "unless we are indebted & forced to do so."[157] To Victoria's dismay, Disraeli mislaid the 1880 general election, give orders to Gladstone returned as prime minister.[158] When Disraeli died the shadowing year, she was blinded be oblivious to "fast falling tears",[159] and erected a memorial tablet "placed dampen his grateful Sovereign and Associate, Victoria R.I."[160]