The Queen Victoria ascended the throne at the age of eighteen and held it longer than any other sovereign in Europe. During his reign, France experienced two royal dynasties, and a Republic, Spain and Italy four three monarchs. In this long period, what exactly is known as "Victorian" Britain became an industrial country and a first-rate power, proud of its ability to create wealth and excel in a world increasingly dependent on scientific progress and technicians? In the political field, the absence of internal revolutions, the English parliamentary rooted, the birth and consolidation of a middle class and colonial expansion were essential features of Victorianism, socially, its foundations were settled in the balance and compromise between classes Characterized by a marked conservatism, respect for the label and cut a rigid Christian morality. This protected and nurtured by the majestic figure and impressive, while maternal and vigorous, Queen, a true hero and inspiration throughout the nineteenth century Europe.
Queen of England
Which would become sovereign of Great Britain and Ireland and empress of India was born on May 24, 1819, fruit of the union of Edward, Duke of Kent, son of King George III, to Princess Marie Louise of Saxe-Coburg , a descendant of one of the oldest and largest European families. Not surprisingly, therefore, that many years after Victoria found no major differences between their personal relationships with the various monarchs, and Great Britain with foreign nations, because since his birth was akin to the royal houses of Germany, Romania, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Belgium, which often led to consider the crowns of Europe as mere family farms and international disputes as mere domestic disputes.
The girl, whose full name was Alexandrina Victoria, lost his father when he was only a year old and was educated under the watchful eye of her mother, soon revealing a caring and sensitive nature, at the same time awake and unlikely to be dominated by anyone. The paternal vacuum was widely substituted by the strong temperament of the mother, whose eye on the little girl was so tyrannical, at the dawn of adolescence; Victoria still had not been able to step into the palace or in the few public events without the company nannies and governesses or his own mother. But as would later evident in his relations with the ministers of the kingdom, She was indomitable if not first won their affection and won their respect.
four years (Table Stephen Poyntz Denning)
Her grandfather George III died the same year that his father soon became clear that Victoria was destined to occupy the throne of his country, since none of the other king's sons had descendants. When the princess was informed in this regard, showing a family tree of British rulers that ended with his own name, Victoria remained silent for a while and then said, "I'll be a good queen. " Just ten years old and already showing a presence of mind and a resolution that would be outstanding qualities throughout his life .
George IV and William IV, uncle of Victoria, occupied the throne between 1820 and 1837. Hours after the death of the latter, the Archbishop of Canterbury knelt before the young Victoria to officially inform you that it was Queen of England. That day, the girl wrote in her diary: "Now that Providence has wanted to put myself in this position, I will do everything to fulfill my obligation to my country. I'm too young and perhaps in many things I lack experience, but not all But I am sure that not too many people with good will and strong desire to make things right that I have. "The solemn ceremony of his coronation took place in Westminster Abbey on June 28, 1838.
A queen of eighteen
The strained relations with his mother Victoria, which would increase with their arrival to the throne, was already evident in his first act of government, which surprised the worshipful council members, were asked if, as queen, could do that will come in real wins. As too young and inexperienced to calibrate the constitutional mechanism, he said yes. She, with a delicious pout youth, told his mother to let her only an hour and shut himself in his room. At the exit again gave another order: to immediately vacate his room the bed of the absorbent Duchess, as hereinafter wanted to sleep without sharing. Complaints, maneuvering and even the evening breaking of the mother could do nothing: their empire had ended and his willful daughter and would impose authoritarian yours. And not only in private, would also give an unmistakable stamp of an era, which has just called his name.
Queen receive the Lord Conyngham and Archbishop
German blood of the young Queen came not only from the maternal line, with more remote ancestry in medieval lineage, had entered with the enthronement of the same dynasty, of Hanover, who were called in 1714 from the principality of the same name in northern Germany to crown the constitutional edifice he had erected in the eighteenth century the English Revolution. Their rulers left in general, a memory for their stormy public and private behavior and vicious punishments inflicted on those who dared to criticize, but presided over the rapid rise of Britain to European hegemony.
Upon the death of King William IV on June 20, 1837 and become his successor to the throne, Queen was facing a lengthy task. The jealous care of the mother had tried to remove it entirely to the pernicious influences of the guys and dissolute court environment, adjusting their instruction as austere guidelines, imbued with a severe Anglicanism. His intellectual education was somewhat precarious, as it seemed far-fetched to think that the death of other direct heirs and the lack of offspring of George IV and William IV would open the way for the succession. But this would not prevent the Queen play akey role in the emergence of a monarchical sentiment undisputed crown to align the people , erasing the memory of their ancestors to strengthen the institution firmly in the collective psyche of his subjects. It was not easy. Its statesmen had to spend long hours in teaching field to delineate the regions in constitutional practices, and attempted to cut the influence of dubious characters of the court, as Baron Stockmar, medical, or Lehzen baroness, a former governess . The biggest clashes would occur with its interference in foreign policy, particularly in the stormy issues in Germany, where under the aegis of Prussia and Bismarck's great rival came here from Britain, the Germanic empire.
Queen in 1897, during ceremonies commemorating the 60th anniversary of his coronation
At the time of the coronation, the English political scene was dominated by William Lamb, Viscount Melbourne, who was prime minister from 1835. Lord Melbourne was a rich man, bright and equipped with superior intelligence and a sensitive temperament and affable, qualities that fascinated the new queen. Victoria, young, happy and carefree during the first months of his reign, began to rely entirely on that excellent gentleman, in whose hands it could leave the affairs of state with absolute confidence. And since Lord Melbourne was head of the Whig party (liberal), she was surrounded by ladies who shared the liberal ideas and expressed their desire not to ever see a Tory (Conservative), as political enemies of his dear lord had passed automatically become their enemies.
Such was the situation when it occurred in the House of Commons votes that several cabinet Whig Lord Melbourne failed to reach the majority. The Prime Minister decided to resign and the Tories, led by Robert Peel, were arranged to form a government. It was then that Victoria, obsessed with the terrible idea of separation of Lord Melbourne and be forced to replace Robert Peel, whose manner is considered abhorrent, brought out his genius and his stubbornness, hidden until now: his refusal to accept the relief was so strongly that the crisis was resolved through a series of negotiations and agreements that reinstated the Whig prime minister. Lord Melbourne returned to the side of the queen and he turned his happiness, but soon to be displaced by a new influence.
Prince Albert
On February 10, 1840 married Queen Victoria. It was a planned union for many years before and determined by the political interests of England. Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, German and a cousin of Victoria, was one of the very few young men who had tried sovereign teenager in your life and certainly the first with which he was allowed to talk alone. When he became your husband or predetermination or fear of change that prevented the wedding supposed born in her a feeling of true reverence for this man not only handsome, exquisite and friendly but also equipped with a thin political intelligence.
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
Alberto no longer have their difficulties at first. On the one hand, it took getting used to since he had traced beforehand parliament, the prince consort, a status it acquired after it (in Britain and Europe) its specific dimensions. On the other hand, took even more to be forgiven a certain lack of adaptation to the ways and means of the English aristocracy, to ignore their innate shyness with the classic appeal of official stiffness and the pride of treatment. But with tact and perseverance of the prince, and the natural resiliency and sense of Victoria, the royal couple cleared in the same will all obstacles and gained a universal respect with their initiatives. It was his love happy, peaceful and homey, which had four sons and five daughters, they and their descendants took a clean sweep most of the royal and imperial courts of the continent, putting a bright heading to the hegemony of Great Britain in the world, in force until the First World War. The day came when Victoria was designated "the grandmother of Europe".
Albert was a perfect husband and replaced Lord Melbourne in the role of counselor, protector and factotum in the field of politics. And served his mission so well that the sovereign, still inexperienced and in need of such support, did not experience any panic when in 1841 replaced the once hated Peel finally Melbourne in front of the cabinet. Since that time, Victoria found that Tory politicians were not only terrible monsters, but on his conservatism, were much closer than the Whigs of his spirit and his beliefs. Thereafter, she and her husband showed a marked preference for the Conservatives, with frequent arguments with his liberal cabinet led by Lord Russell and Lord Palmerston.
Queen Victoria and Prince at Windsor Castle
The Prince Albert's political skill and scrupulous respect for the queen observed to parliamentary mechanisms, often contradicting their own preferences, contributed greatly to restoring the prestige of the crown, seriously undermined since the last years of George III because the manifest incompetence of the rulers. With the birth in November 1841, the Prince of Wales, who happen to Victoria over half a century later under the name of Edward VII, the issue of succession was settled. Can be said, therefore, that in 1851, when the Queen opened in London the first major international exhibition, the glory and power of England were in their prime. It should be noted that Alberto was the organizer of the event, there is no doubt that had become the true king in the shade.
The splendor of widowhood
Over the following years, Alberto tirelessly continued to address the difficult issues of governance and high matters of state. But his energy and his health began to suffer from 1856, a year before the Queen granted the title of prince consort in order that her husband will be fully recognized their rights as a British citizen, it must not be forgotten foreign origin. It was in 1861 when Victoria went through the most tragic period of his life: his mother died in March, the Duchess of Kent, and expiring December 14 her beloved husband, the man who had been his guide and supported her weight of crown.As on other occasions, and despite the pain he experienced, the queen reacted with extraordinary courage and decided that the best way to pay tribute to the prince disappeared was to adopt the central aim had encouraged her husband to work tirelessly to serve the country. The small, thick figure of the queen was covered below with a black dress and remained ever faithful to the memory of Albert, always evokes in conversations and most trivial daily episodes, while just consummate the indissoluble union of monarchy, people and state.
The British royal family in 1880
From that moment until his death, Victoria never ceased to show signs of his iron will and his great ability to lead with apparent ease the destinies of England. While in the political arena two new players, the liberal and conservative Disraeli Gladstone, gave start to a new act in the history of English parliamentarism, the queen from its privileged position reached an international celebrity and a notable influence over the people of that had enjoyed any of his predecessors. In a supreme success, also secured a license is proverbially aristocracy was impregnated with the moral values of the bourgeoisie, as it had in its heyday industrial revolution and curtail the powers of the last bastion of nobility, the House of Lords. She same end more rigid guidelines that morality and personal touch that you printed something timid and narrow-mindedness, not in vain been called Victorian.
The only break in this state of permanent widowhood brought the government of Disraeli, the politician who best to enter the queen's character, cheer and flattery, and divert it from your old preference for the Whigs. Also became a symbol of imperial unity in 1877 to crown her empress of India, after dominating there the great national and religious rebellion of the sepoys. The business policy of Disraeli also put the finishing touch to the formidable colonial expansion (the British Empire came to realize up to 24% of all land area and 450 million people, ruled by 37 million from the metropolis) to the acquisition and control Suez Canal. London became so long, the first center and world trade. Endless colonial wars led the British presence to the ends of Asia, Africa and Oceania.
Queen Victoria in 1897, during ceremonies commemorating the 60th anniversary of his coronation
During the last three decades of his reign, Victoria became a living legend and the obligatory reference for all political activity on the world stage. His image small and robust, yet endowed with an extraordinary majesty, was an object of reverence within and outside Britain. His overwhelming common sense, calm assurance which accompanied all its decisions and its close identification with the wishes and concerns of the middle class got the protective shadow of the call Widow of Windsor was projected on an entire era and soak up the second Victorianism half century.
His life slowly died out with the same relaxed cadence that passed the years of her widowhood. When made public his death on January 22, 1901, it seemed as if about to happen an awful cataclysm of nature. The vast majority of his subjects could not remember a day when Victoria had not been his queen.
