Queen Victoria

Since 1714, Britain had shared a monarch with Hanover in Germany, but under Salic law women were excluded from the Hanoverian succession. While Victoria inherited all the British Dominions, her father's unpopular younger brother, the Duke of Cumberland, became King of Hanover. He was her heir presumptive while she was childless.

Princess Alexandrina Victoria was born on May 24, 1819 to the Duke and Duchess of Kent. Victoria as she was called was the granddaughter of King George III. When she was less than a year old her father died leaving her mother broke and at the mercy of her brother Leopold, the King of Belgium. Victoria lead a sheltered life in Kensington Palace while growing up. She was not allowed to see anybody besides her mother, half-sister and brother, and the comptroller of the household and reputed lover of the Duchess of Kent, Sir John Conroy. When she was 17 she met for the first time her cousins Albert and Ernest (sons of her mother's brother Ernest) The meeting went well but nothing happened. Several months later Victoria's Uncle King William IV died and she became Queen at the age of 18. Three years later she and Albert met again and this time they fell in love.

They got married on Feburary 10, 1840 and In November of that year they welcomed their first child named Victoria.

In 1841 they had Albert Edward, who would be Prince of Wales and then Edward VII. Followed by Alice (b.

1843),Alfred (b.

1844), Helena (b.

1846), Louise (b.

1848) Arthur (b.

1850) and Leopold (b.

1853) and Beatrice (b.

In early 1855, the government of Lord Aberdeen, who had replaced Derby, fell amidst recriminations over the poor management of British troops in the Crimean War. Victoria approached both Derby and Russell to form a ministry, but neither had sufficient support, and Victoria was forced to appoint Palmerston as prime minister.[.

The Victoria Cross was introduced in 1856 to reward acts of valour during the Crimean War,[233] and it remains the highest British, Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand award for bravery. Victoria Day is a Canadian statutory holiday and a local public holiday in parts of Scotland celebrated on the last Monday before or on 24 May (Queen Victoria's birthday).

1857.

) In 1860, though something happened that brought Victoria's world to a stand-still. Her beloved husband died on December 14 after a short illness with Thyphoid. This did not hinder any plans though. Their oldest daughter had been married to the Prussian Prince Fritz for several years by then, but their daughter Alice and son Bertie were almost to be married at the time of their father's death. A few months later Alice married Prince Louis of Hess and several months after that Bertie married Prince Alexandra of Denmark. For the rest of her life Victoria missed Albert and insisted in a funereal like atmosphere in her household. The only thing that could lift her spirits where her 40 grandchildren.

The Victoria Embankment part of the Thames in London was named after her in 1870.

Queen Victoria's favorite granddaughter was Tsarina Alexandra (1872-1918).

On that fateful December 14 of 1878 Victoria lost her daughter, Alice, and mourned her. After several months though she recovered enough to concoct an idea. She would have her son in law Louis marry her daughter Beatrice so that her several grandchildren could be near her. This did not happen though.

Was so overcome with grief by the death of her son Prince Leopold in 1884, she was unable to walk and was in a wheelchair for the rest of her life.

On September 22, 1896 - having reigned for 59 years and 97 days - she surpassed her grandfather King George III as the longest-reigning monarch in British history. On September 9, 2015, her great-great-granddaughter Queen Elizabeth II surpassed her as the longest-reigning monarch in British history.

Buried at Frogmore Mausoleum at Windsor Great Park, London. [February 1901]

Was the longest reigning monarch in British history (64 years), until she was surpassed by her great-great-granddaughter Queen Elizabeth II on September 9, 2015.