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Short Biography of Queen Victoria
Short Biography of Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria was born 24 May, 1819. She was the granddaughter of George
III, and her father, Edward was fourth in line to the throne. But when the
prince of Wales died early, his brothers sought to get married and maintain
the line of succession.
The 19th Century was a time of unprecedented expansion for Britain in term of
both of industry and Empire. Although her popularity ebbed and flowed
during her reign, towards the end of her crown, she had become a symbol of
British imperialism and pride.
The Victorian period also witnessed great advances in science and technology.
It became known as the steam age, enabling people to easily travel throughout
the UK and the World.
In the early part of her reign she become a close friend and confident of the
Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne. She spent many hours talking to him and
relied on his political advice. Lord Melbourne was a Whig, with conservative
attitudes. He tried to shield Queen Victoria from the extreme poverty that was
endemic in parts of the UK.
Queen Victoria was also highly devoted to her husband, Prince Albert;
together they had nine children. When Prince Albert died in 1861, at the age of
41, Queen Victoria went into deep mourning and struggled to overcome this
loss. She became reclusive and was reluctant to appear in public. Parliament
and Benjamin Disraeli had to use all their persuasive power to get her to open
parliament in 1866 and 1867. Her hiding from the public led to a decline in
popularity. However, by the end of her reign, her popularity was restored. This
was partly due to the rise of Great Britain as the leading super power of the
era.