Queen of England Victoria Hanover ^2,3

  General Notes:

[Europe_New.FTW] [royalfam.ged] Victoria, queen of Great Britain and Ireland r. 1837-1901, the longest-reigning monarch i n English history, established the monarchy asa respected and popular institution while it wa s irrevocably losing its place as an integral part of the British governing system. Born in Kensington Palace, London, on May 24, 1819, Victoria was the only child of Edward, du ke of Kent and son of George III, and PrincessVictoria, daughter of the duke of Saxe-Coburg . Emerging from a lonely, secluded childhood to take the throne on the death of her uncle, Wi lliamIV, Victoria displayed a personality marked by strong prejudices and awillful stubbornne ss. She was strongly attached to the Whig prime minister Lord Melbourne; after he resigned i n 1839, Sir Robert Peel, his would-be successor, suggested that she dismiss the Whig ladies o f hercourt. Victoria, however, refused. In part because of this "bed chamber crisis," Melbour ne resumed office for two more years. Victoria and her court were greatly transformed by her marriage to her first cousin, Prince A lbert of Saxe-Coburg, in 1840. Although her name now designates a supposedly prudish age, i t was Albert who made a point of straitlaced behavior, and introduced a strict decorum in cou rt. He also gave a more conservative tinge to Victoria's politics, leading her to become clos e to Peel. The couple had nine children. Victoria populated most of the thrones of Europe wit h her descendants. Among her grandchildren were Emperor William II of Germany and Alexandra , consort of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. Albert taught Victoria the need for hard work if she was to make her views felt in the cabine t, and during the prince's lifetime Victoria did, by insistently interjecting her opinions, f orce the ministers to take them into account. Opposing the policy of Lord Palmerston of encou raging democratic government on the Continent, for example, she was partlyresponsible for hi s departure as foreign secretary in 1851. She also helped form cabinets. Her political import ance was based, however, upon the temporarily factionalized state of Commons between 1846 an d 1868,when royal intervention was needed to help glue together majoritycoalitions. Always prone to self-pity, Victoria fully indulged her grief at Albert's death in 1861. She r emained in mourning until her own death, making fewpublic appearances and spending most of ea ch year on the Isle of Wight and in the Scottish Highlands, where her closest companion wa s a dour Scottish servant, John Brown. Her popularity declined as a result, and republican se ntiment appeared during the late 1860s. Victoria, however, regained the people's admiration when she resumed her determined efforts t o steer public affairs. She won particular esteem for defending the popular imperialist polic ies of the Conservative ministries of Benjamin Disraeli, who flattered her relentlessly and m ade her empress of India in 1876. Conversely, she flayed William E. Gladstone, theLiberal pri me minister, whom she intensely disliked, for ostensibly weakening the empire. Although Victo ria also attacked Gladstone for encouraging democratic trends, the celebrations of her golde n and diamond jubilees in 1887 and 1897 demonstrated her great popularity. In Victoria's later career, her attempts to influence government decisions ceased to carry si gnificant weight. The Reform Act of 1867, by doubling the electorate, strengthened party orga nization and eliminated the need for a mediator--the monarch--among factions in Commons. Victoria died on Jan. 22, 1901. She was succeeded by her son, Edward VII.Her letters have bee n published in three series 1907; 1926-28; 1930-32.

  Noted events in her life were:

• Record Change, 26 Aug 2003. ^2,3

Victoria married Albert Francis Augustus Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, son of Ernest Of Saxe-Coburg I and Louise Of Saxe-Gotha, on 10 Feb 1840 in London, London, England ².^,3 (Albert Francis Augustus Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was born on 26 Aug 1819 in Schloss Rosenau, Near Coburg, Germany,^2,3 died on 14 Dec 1861 in Windsor, Berkshire, England ^2,3 and was buried in Frogmore, Windsor, England, Great Britain ^2,3.)