queen victoria

In 1840, an 18yearold named Edward Oxford fired two shots at the young queens carriage while she was riding in London. Accused of high treason, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Another wouldbe assassin, John Francis, made not one but two attempts to shoot the queen in her carriage in 1842. That same year, young John William Bean tried to fire a gun loaded with paper and tobacco at the queen, but the charge was insufficient. Two more carriage attacks came in 1849 and 1850 the first by angry Irishman William Hamilton and the second by exArmy officer Robert Pate, who hit the queen with his cane. Finally, in March 1882, a disgruntled Scottish poet named Roderick Maclean shot at Victoria with a pistol while her carriage was leaving the Windsor train station. It was supposedly Macleans eighth attempt to assassinate the queen; he was also found to be insane, and sentenced to life in an asylum. In the wake of an assassination attempt, Victorias popularity usually soared among the British public.

Princess Victoria Alexandria was born on May 24, 1819 at Kensington Palace in London. Her father was Edward, the Duke of Kent and her mother was Princess Victoria of Germany.Victoria lived the life of a young royal and her mother was very protective. She had little contact with other children spending most of her days with adult tutors and playing with dolls when she was young. As she grew older she enjoyed painting, drawing, and writing in her diary.

When Victoria was born, she was fifth in line for the crown of England. It seemed unlikely that she would ever be queen. However, after several of her uncles failed to have children, she became heir to the throne of the current king, William IV.

When King William IV died in 1837, Victoria became Queen of the United Kingdom at the age of eighteen. Her official coronation took place on June 28, 1838. Victoria was determined to be a good queen and to restore the faith of the people of the United Kingdom in the monarchy. One of the first things she did was to pay off her fathers debts. The people liked her from the start.Victoria didnt know a lot about how to govern, however, she made a good friend and tutor in the Prime Minister at the time, Lord Melbourne. Melbourne advised Victoria on political issues and had considerable influence over her at the start of her reign.

The time of Victorias reign was a period of prosperity and peace for Great Britain. It was a time of industrial expansion and the building of railroads. One of the achievements of the time was the Great Exhibition of 1851. A huge building called the Crystal Palace was built in London that housed a number of technological exhibits from around the world. Prince Albert took part in the planning and it was a huge success.

In her later years, Victoria did not permit knocking at her bedroom door. Family members announced their presence by a gentle scratching.Queen Victoria died near Cowes, Isle of Wight, England, and was succeeded by her son, Edward VII. At the time of her death, Victoria was hailed as an exemplary monarch. Victorias stern view on morality, and the preeminence of Britain on the world stage under her rule, helped define the age that bears her name.