The controversial friendship between queen and servant caused great rifts in the royal family, and Brown’s influence over Victoria was much criticised. One notably close relationship was with her servant John Brown, the hard-drinking, bearded son of a Scottish crofter. But, as the decades passed, she did find solace in the company and friendships of several men. Life after Albert: what happened when he died?Īfter Albert’s death, Victoria fell into a deep depression and mourned her husband for the rest of her long life. Two of the couple’s five daughters – Alice and Beatrice – are confirmed carriers and unknowingly passed the disorder to the royal families of Spain, Germany and Russia. The couple’s eighth child, Leopold, was a haemophiliac and died aged 30 after a minor fall triggered a cerebral haemorrhage. Victoria is believed to have been a carrier of haemophilia – a hereditary condition that affects the blood’s ability to clot. They also introduced a devastating genetic condition. Kaiser Wilhelm is reported to have remarked that had Victoria still been alive, World War I may never have broken out – she simply would not have allowed her relatives to wage war with one another.īut Victoria and Albert shared more than just their children and grandchildren across the royal dynasties of Europe. During her lifetime, Victoria had successfully managed the difficult relationships between her grandchildren and their respective nations, but after her death in 1901, peace faltered and Europe began to edge closer to war. George V of Britain, Tsarina Alexandra of Russia (wife of Tsar Nicholas II) and Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm – the three warring royals of World War I – were actually all grandchildren of Victoria and Albert. Eight of these would eventually sit on the thrones of Britain, Prussia, Greece, Romania, Russia, Norway, Sweden and Spain. Victoria and Albert’s nine children married into royal houses across Europe – from Denmark to Russia – and Victoria was eventually grandmother to 40 grandchildren. Extending British influence and keeping allegiances closer to home in Europe was an equally important, albeit more delicate matter, and was achieved through marriage. It included Australia, Canada, the Indian subcontinent and much of Africa. Victoria and Albert were rulers of a vast empire that dominated global politics by the end of the 19th century. Victoria and Albert: the grandparents of Europe The cause of death was allegedly typhoid fever, but modern historians speculate that he suffered from an underlying illness such as stomach cancer or Crohn’s disease. This gives him precedence over everyone, including his son the Prince of Wales, second only to the queen.ġ4 December 1861: Albert dies at Windsor, aged 42. Here the family enjoy a romantic mountain life which reminds Albert of his native Germany.ġ857: Victoria makes Albert Prince Consort. Beatrice follows on 14 April 1857, completing the family.ġ853–56: Balmoral Castle is built, once more under Albert’s supervision. Victoria now talks of “We”, not “I”.ġ845–51: Osborne on the Isle of Wight is built under Albert’s supervision as a holiday retreat for the royal family.ħ April 1853: Leopold is born. Albert takes over and introduces important reforms, making the court more efficient and cutting waste.ġ842: Albert starts to attend the queen’s meetings with ministers, and writes notes of the meetings. In total, that’s seven children in 10 years.ġ842: Baroness Lehzen, Victoria’s former governess, who has been charged with the running of the court, is dismissed. This is followed by the birth of Alice, 25 April 1843 Alfred, 6 August 1844 Helena, Louise, 18 March 1848 and Arthur. Around this time, Victoria gives Albert the keys to the cabinet boxes.ĩ November 1841: Birth of Albert Edward (Bertie), Prince of Wales. She tells no one beforehand, except the prime minister, Lord Melbourne.ġ0 February 1840: Victoria and Albert are married at the Chapel Royal, St James’s.Ģ1 November 1840: Vicky, Victoria’s first child, is born. Victoria and Albert’s relationship: a timelineġ0 October 1839: Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg- Gotha, aged 20, arrives at Windsor on a visit to Queen Victoria, his first cousin, three months older than him.ġ5 October 1839: Victoria, who considers that Albert “is beautiful” and declares that “My heart is quite going”, proposes to Albert.
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