Page 158 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol V

V

first, she came to worship Albert and gradually made him when General Horatio Herbert Kitchener defeated the
de facto co-regent. Between 1840 and 1857, they pro- Mahdists at Omdurman, Sudan, in 1898. Once she pos-
duced Victoria, Edward, Alice, Alfred, Helena, Louise, sessed a territory, she never wanted to part with it, believ-
Arthur, Leopold, and Beatrice; they made every effort to ing that any people profited from her rule.
create a model family, teaching duty, hard work, chastity, In 1887 Victoria celebrated her golden jubilee as a Euro-
and sobriety. The family moved among homes at Wind- pean monarch with relatives and rulers from across Europe
sor Castle, Balmoral in Scotland’s Highlands, and a new parading through London’s streets dressed in elaborate
house designed by Albert on the Isle of Wight (Osborne). military uniforms. Victoria excluded the heads of Europe
Named prince consort by his wife in 1857, Albert along from her diamond jubilee in 1897 to invite the rulers of her
with Victoria played a key role in the confused coalitions dominions and colonies, turning the ceremony into a cel-
that governed after Robert Peel destroyed the Tory Party ebration of the empire’s diversity and might. However, the
to give Britain free trade.Victoria found her preferred role Boer War clouded her final years. Her grandson,William
as a warrior queen during the Crimean War (1854– II, Emperor of Germany, favored her enemy and the con-
1856), seeing off the troops, visiting the wounded, and flict strained the resources of the empire.
establishing the Victoria Cross for bravery in 1856. Victoria adopted an Indian Muslim servant, Abdul
Albert died of typhoid in 1861, leaving Victoria dis- Karim, as her favorite, demonstrating her “liberal” views
traught and causing her to withdraw from public on religion and “race.” Though she personally preferred
appearances—except to review her troops. She built the Scottish Presbyterian service, Victoria constantly
memorials to Albert and had servants lay out a fresh suit strove for tolerance. She valued her relations with all her
of clothes in his room each evening for forty years. In pri- subjects, caring deeply for her servants and comforting
vate she allowed John Brown,Albert’s Scottish servant, to widows of all classes. She displayed a feel for the public
serve as her comfort until his death. The Conservative mind. Although she considered herself a constitutional
prime minister, Benjamin Disraeli, wooed the queen monarch and favored free trade, she had her prime min-
from her grieving isolation and restored her popularity by isters write her each day reporting all significant affairs
making her the symbol of the British empire. Supplying and never hesitated to intervene when she felt it necessary.
her with political gossip and cabinet secrets, he converted She named the Liberal Lord Rosebery prime minister in
her into an ardent, partisan Conservative. She despised 1894 because he was a safe imperialist. She influenced
William E. Gladstone, leader of the Liberal Party, and his the appointment of cabinet ministers and sometimes
plan to give Ireland home rule. She exhibited dismay conspired to elect Conservatives. Though she gave her
when Gladstone’s government failed to rescue “Chinese” name to an era popularly known for its prudishness, she
Charles Gordon from Khartoum and approved heartily forgave drunkenness and other human foibles in those

1935