Queen Victoria(1819-1901)
- Writer
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. 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. 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. On January 22, 1901 Victoria died in Osbourn House in the arms
of her grandson Kaiser William II. Her children and grandchildren
stretched all over the globe, reigning as sovereigns or consorts. From
the UK, Germany, Romania, Russia, Greece, and Spain her children and
grandchildren would change the face of the world.
