Alexandrina Victoria (1819 – 1901) was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 and Empress of India from 1876 until her death. Victoria's 64-year rule of the United Kingdom was the longest of any of British monarch, or any female monarch in history,[1] until the 70-year reign of her great-great-granddaughter Elizabeth II.[2] Her reign, dubbed as the "Victorian era", was marked by the Industrial Revolution, the British Empire's expansion to encompass all five continents, and her surviving seven assassination attempts.[3]
Biography[]
Early life and reign[]
Alexandrina Victoria was born in Kensington Palace in London to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn and German-born Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Due to her father's and grandfather George III's deaths, Alexandrina was raised by her mother, a childhood she later described as "rather melancholy".[4]
She inherited the throne at age 18 and married her first cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1840, becoming Queen Victoria. Contrary to tradition, Victoria proposed to Albert as she was the Queen.[3] She then gave birth to nine children; Victoria, Albert, Alice, Alfred, Helena, Louise, Arthur, Leopold, and Beatrice. Their nine children later married into royal and noble families in Europe, earning her the nickname "the grandmother of Europe".[4]
After Albert's death in 1861, Victoria plunged into deep mourning and vanished from the public eye. Her popularity recovered, however, in the later years of her reign.[4] In October 1863, Victoria grew close to one of Albert's servants, John Brown; this relationship prompted rumors that the Queen had taken another lover.[5] On 23 and 25 April 1865, Victoria received emotionally moving letters from her Belgian uncle Leopold I concerning his health. In her 27 April reply, she discussed her daughter Helena's betrothal to Prince Christian of Augustenberg.[6] Two days later, she sent a letter of condolences to the United States' First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln regarding the assassination of her husband President Abraham Lincoln;[7] Mrs. Lincoln sent a reply on 21 May expressing her gratitude for the Queen's condolences.[8] On 13 June, Victoria sent a letter to her eldest son Albert regarding names for his then-unborn son George V.[9]
On 22 January 1866, Queen Victoria sent a letter to Earl Russell concerning the reopening of parliament. Denying the Earl's request, Victoria expressed her need to continue mourning.[10] On 6 February, Victoria attended the State Opening of Parliament for the first time since Albert's death.[11] On 16 October, Victoria discussed with her son Albert on his visit to Saint Petersburg, Russia. The Queen stated in her letter her disdain for the country but understood and respected Albert's decision to be present for the marriage of Dagmar of Denmark.[12]
On 22 May 1867, Victoria announced her plan to award her son Albert the Order of the Thistle, her son Arthur the Order of the Garter, Prince Victor the Office of Constable of the Round Tower, and Prince Christian the honor of being Ranger of Windsor Great Park.[13] On 26 June, Lord Augustus FitzRoy was invited for lunch on the Queen's behalf.[14] On 14 October, Victoria met with General Charles Grey discussing a possible attack by Fenians. As a precaution, the 93rd Highlanders regiment was placed at Abergeldie.[15] On 16 December, Victoria denied a request from Lord Stanley to observe and advise parliament.[16] On 19 December, after the Queen had moved to a more vulnerable Osborne House on the Isle of Wight for the Christmas season, she received an alarming message from General Grey concerning rumors of an assassination plot against her.[17]
Aiding the Assassins[]
In 1868, while hosting a ball at Buckingham Palace, Victoria had the pleasure of meeting Evie Frye, who was introduced by Mary Anne Disraeli. Victoria remarked that the young Frye was behind the theft of William Gladstone's carriage, but made no effort to have her arrested since she, like the Disraelis, heartily disliked Gladstone. Instead, much to the Assassin's relief, she merely told the young woman to enjoy the ball, especially the cake which was apparently very good.[18]
The next day, Victoria met with Evie, her brother Jacob and Henry Green, having been told by Sergeant Frederick Abberline of how they thwarted a plot against her life by Crawford Starrick. In recognition of their deeds, she knighted the trio into the Order of the Sacred Garter. Before departing their company, Victoria reminded Evie that she saved some cake for her.[18]
At some point, a royal guard turned up murdered in Victoria's study, in which the Frye twins were called in. Victoria personally inspected her safe, which contained the Scepter of the Dove, which she planned on using to knight several industrialists opposing child labor later in the day. One of the Fryes then left the palace to chase down another lead and later returned to warn the Queen that a bomb was in the palace. However, the bomb turned out to be a hoax and the dead guard was in fact an impostor named Henry Raymond, who merely used spider venom to put himself in a death-like state so he could observe the Queen's combination to the safe so he could steal the Scepter. Though Raymond held young Artie hostage, the Frye twins were able to kill him, saving Artie and thwarting the caper.[19]
Victoria later summoned the Frye twins to request their aid in thwarting a faction of Templars attempting to regain their power in London through acts of terrorism.[20][21] Once the plot was thwarted, including an attempt to bomb Parliament,[22] Victoria offered the Fryes her gratitude and expressed her hope that they would continue to assist her in strengthening the British Empire. However, the twin Assassins politely stated that their Creed forbade them from assisting in the Empire's expansion, with Evie suggesting that the Queen put an end to her imperialist beliefs. Victoria understood and respected their position, and provided them with rewards for their deeds before bidding them farewell.[23]
Assassination attempt[]
In 1882, rumors swirled in the streets of England that Queen Victoria was targeted to be killed. Believing it to be orchestrated by the Templars, British Assassin George Westhouse enlisted fellow Assassin Pierrette Arnaud to scout and protect the queen.[24] While visiting Windsor, Queen Victoria arrived in her carriage, only to be shot at by an unknown person. The assailant is knocked out by a horse ridden by Spider Wallin while the queen is checked on by Arnaud. After the ordeal, Queen Victoria was safely protected by the Assassins.[25]
Later life and death[]
In the last fourteen years of her life, Queen Victoria befriended her Indian servant Abdul Karim.[26] She died on 22 January 1901, with Abdul by her side. Upon her death, her eldest son and successor Albert—now Edward VII—ordered Abdul return to India and all correspondence between him and the Queen be burned.[27]
Personality and traits[]
Queen Victoria was hemophiliac, as were her family; hence, she named the disease the "Royal Malady". She also stood at exactly 5 feet tall.[3] Victoria composed herself in a regal manner. As a wife, she was affectionate and loving, and was devastated when her husband Albert passed away, so much so that she shut herself away for five years just to grieve[11] and thereafter exclusively wore mourning clothing.[6]
The Queen was also known to have a high libido, as stated by one of her diary entries: "I will NEVER forget such a night!!! His passion and affection (...) aroused such feelings (...) as I would never before have hoped to know!"[28] She was also headstrong and opinionated, as she disliked her then-unborn grandson's potential name,[9] protested her strong dislike for Russia,[12] and did not think very highly of William Gladstone, either.[18]
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
- Assassin's Creed: Syndicate (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: Underworld
- Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Magus Conspiracy (indirect mention only)
- Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot
- Assassin's Creed: Fragments – The Blade of Aizu (mentioned only)
References[]
- ↑ Queen Victoria on Wikipedia
- ↑ Elizabeth II on Wikipedia
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 XIXth Century Search Engine – 6 things you were dying to know about Queen Victoria
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Database: Queen Victoria
- ↑ XIXth Century Search Engine – "Who Is the Mysterious John Brown?"
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Royal correspondence: "April 27, 1865"
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Royal correspondence: "April 29, 1865"
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Royal correspondence: "May 21, 1865"
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Royal correspondence: "June 13, 1865"
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Royal correspondence: "January 22, 1866"
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Royal correspondence: "February 6, 1866"
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Royal correspondence: "October 16, 1866"
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Royal correspondence: "May 22, 1867"
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Royal correspondence: "June 26, 1867"
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Royal correspondence: "October 14, 1867"
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Royal correspondence: "December 16, 1867"
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Royal correspondence: "December 19, 1867"
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – A Night to Remember
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Syndicate - Murder at the Palace!
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Syndicate - Operation: Locomotive
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Syndicate - Operation: Drive for Lives
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Operation: Dynamite Boat
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Syndicate - Operation: Westminster
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot — Chapter 27
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot — Chapter 28
- ↑ XIXth Century Search Engine – [citation needed]
- ↑ Abdul Karim (the Munshi) on Wikipedia
- ↑ XIXth Century Search Engine – Can A Woman Propose?
|
|