Hello and welcome to queen V the life of Queen Victoria. My name is Donnie Hazel. And I am your host. If you wish to support this podcast, there will be a link provided for you in the show details and would be very much appreciated as it goes to help support the cost of maintaining the podcast and our website, but that said sit back relax and enjoy this episode of queen V the life of Queen Victoria. This is the most Ali I'm at Frogmore close to Windsor Castle. What Queen Victoria and Prince Albert the prince consort Library? As a great great grandson, I've always had a considerable Fascination for them and the influence they exert you. This film focuses perhaps rather on Prince Albert who was responsible for some of the things we take for granted in this country today. He helped fashion the Constitutional model of our monarchy. He had a hand in social reform. He was a patron of the Arts and he built some of his family's great houses and above all he was a staunch family man. Deeply in love with Queen Victoria when he died at the tragic. The early age of 42 is broken hearted Queen was left to mourn her husband for the remaining 40 years of her Reign. I always get a strong feeling of Queen Victoria's sense of loss from this photograph of mine which shows Prince Albert and in her own handwriting Queen Victoria has written beloved Papa meaning Albert from Paul brokenhearted Muammar When she wrote it the prince canceled had already been dead for two months. No human power will make me swerve from what he decided and wished Queen Victoria vowed sadly of the prince consort death and right up until the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 1897 that crowned the remaining 40 years of her lonely rain. She was Guided by Prince Albert. The man she had loved so passionately at the beginning of her life was now no longer at her side. But his legacy still lives on here in this country. You designed and built Royal palaces. He modernized existing ones. organisations that he headed for top great building before he was 30 Prince Albert designed and built Osborne house on the Isle of Wight as a romantic Hideaway for the queen and his family the house remains much the same as it was then a tribute to the remarkable artistic Taste of the prince consort the queen wrote in her journal. The great diary she kept her 70 years how happy we are here and never do I enjoy myself more than when I can be so much with my beloved Albert and follow him everywhere. We have to remember the Queen Victoria was only 18 when she became Sovereign by the time she was 14. She was raising a family of nine children and still her responsibilities for her country and its colonies were enormous. She'd also survived a lonely and Friendless childhood as Queen she'd grown totally dependent on Prince Albert Victoria wrote consequently. I owe everything to dearest Papa Albert. He was my father my protector my guide and advisor in all and everything my mother I might almost say as well as my husband. I had a very unhappy life as a child had no scope for my violent feelings of affection had no brothers or sisters to live with never had had a father princess Victoria's childhood was spent at Kensington Palace a few years after the Battle of Waterloo. Her father had died before she was one and Victoria was brought up by her mother The Duchess of Kent and her close Confidant. So John Conroy. They devised what came to be called the Kensington system, which was a plot to make the Duchess of Kent Regent when Victoria came to the throne their scheme was to manipulate and coerce the young child into doing what they wanted. The young princess was kept isolated here in these apartments away from the Royal Court and even separate from other children Princess, Victoria was carefully shielded and protected. To she had to sleep in the same room as her mother until the day she became Queen. Not having many young friends and no brothers or sisters of her own age young Princess Victoria made these dolls. There were well over a hundred of they were all made in the likeness of adults and they became in a way a substitute for childhood friend in short. The princess is upbringing was hardly the right kind of training for a monarch and it says something of the strength of character shown by the future Queen. But she survived her time in Kensington Palace at all. At exactly the same time Prince Albert of saxe-coburg and gotha who was Princess Victoria's first cousin was being brought up with his brother here in Coburg in the middle of Germany. The boys were raised here in sauce Hosanna. The parents were separated the mother had gone away and their father was often out of time, but in spite of that they did manage to have a very happy childhood. It was Prince Albert's Uncle Leopold later King of the belgians and brother of the Duchess of Kent in London to we decided early on that. There will be an arranged marriage between the Two Cousins Victoria and Albert now for the relatively minor House of saxe-coburg here in Germany to be linked by marriage to the English Sovereign represented a considerable increase in stages. But what Young Prince Albert lacked in wealth he made up for in hard work and artistic and intellectual ability. Albert and his brother Ernest. We're not only composers and pianists but they were also considerable draftsman. All these are by Albert and the interesting thing is I think this one here was done when he was only seven. This is a rather fine sketch of a man in armor. And this one here is of a poor lady who was about to meet some awful fate. I think as a Sabine both of them were done when he was only 13, the brothers were great lovers of natural history and they started a small collection which later became a museum and here are some examples of what they had collected that predominantly Birds. This was an interest which certain indications Prince Albert was something which was with him all his life. Dawn on the morning of June the 20th 1837 at Kensington Palace the Lord Chamberlain of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury had ridden through the night from Windsor Castle. Open up in the name of the Queen it was 6 a.m. And because of the hour they were refused entry only when they demanded to see the queen where they letting Princess Victoria was woken and informed in this room that her uncle King William the fourth had died during the night dressed still in her nightclothes the 18 year old now found herself Queen. Victoria had a remarkable first day of soccer game engine that has she began like captivating all those attending her first privy council meeting here in this room. Some of the noblest names in the land had gathered Lord Melbourne the Prime Minister Lord, John Russell Lord Palmerston the great Duke of Wellington. and Sir Robert peel That day the queen also removed herself from the clutches of her mother and abolished the Kensington system in the evening one word proclaiming her new Independence appeared prominently five times in her diary. Hello quite alone, of course quite alone. And at nine came Lord Melbourne whom I saw in my room and of course quite alone But the young Queen was not alone the court. She presided over was highly political Lord Melbourne was not only prime minister and leader of the Whig party. He also acted as the Queen's principal advisor dining and riding the Lord Melbourne most days the Teenage Queen became first dependent on his advice and then quite infatuated with the worldly 58 year old prime minister. The young Queen was really influenced by Lord Melbourne. He distrusted. Change and head from her the truth about social conditions in Britain. He believes children should be put to work in factories rather than starve. He thought flogging imprisons and treadmills was permissible and that workhouses were for the social good. So at a very early age Queen Victoria's natural sympathies were blunted by the views of Lord, Melbourne. Worse the court Queen Victoria had inherited was traditionally parties an her ladies-in-waiting appointed by the party were wives of prominent Wing politicians inevitably the crown became embroiled in a political crisis. It came when Melbourne's wig government was forced to resign the young Queen was desperate at losing her father figure. She wrote carefully at his departure for my happiness gone that dearest kind Lord Melbourne no more my minister. I solved them cried much. And the next day at Lord Melbourne's final audience. I stopped that and kept holding his hand for some time fast in one of mine as if I felt that in doing so he could not leave me. Then in her grief the young Queen behaved unconstitutionally, I could eat nothing wrote one line to the Duke of Wellington to request him to come. Instead of calling upon Sir Robert peel the leader of the opposition to form the new government. The queen asked another close friend the powerful Duke of Wellington. The queen was playing a dangerous political game to get her way. Wellington wisely declined men here is my list of cabinet appointees the disgruntled Tory opposition leader Pierre retaliate and my request ma'am is that you remove your ladies and waiting for they are political appointees. The queen would not give up her lady's butt man. The queen was asked to replace her ladies of the bedchamber many of whom had become personal friends, but all of whom were wigs supporters the queen adamantly refused in the deadlock that followed peel said he could no longer form government. Triumphant the queen wrote back to Lord Melbourne. I was calm but very decided the Queen of England will not submit to such trickery. Keep yourself in Readiness for you may soon be wanted green Victoria. Then asked Lord Melbourne her mentor and favorite to return and form another government and that brought an end to what became known as the bedchamber plot. It was an instant in which the young Queen was seen to exceed her role of All room changes would have to be made. Prince Albert of saxe-coburg and gotha just 20 found himself in this volatile atmosphere in October 1839. To encourage the union between the two Royal household. He had travelled all the way from Germany to meet Queen Victoria at Windsor. The queen saw Prince Albert at the foot of the main staircase that night she wrote it was with some emotion that I beheld Albert who is beautiful and then she went further Abbott really is so excessively handsome such beautiful eyes and exquisite nose. And such a pretty math a beautiful figure broaden the shoulders and they find waste instant Queen Victoria had fallen hopelessly in Love by protocol. The queen had to propose within five days. She had asked Prince Albert to marry her Albert wrote dearest greatly beloved Victoria. How is it that I have deserved so much love so much affection heaven. Sent me an angel whose brightness Sally Lou my life in body and soul ever your slave Albert. What started as an arranged marriage had been transformed and became one of the most important in British history it took place in Saint James's Palace in February 1840, but on the wedding day itself the times could only snare about the young Foreigner marrying the Queen the prince began diligently looking for roles. That would enhance his Prestige and influence first. He turned his energies to reorganizing the Antiquated Royal household. The prince Albert's most pressing concern was to ensure the Monica stood once and for all above Party politics. With a queen now expecting a child. It was suggested that Prince Albert had replaced Lord Melbourne and act as her principal adviser. He seized the chance from then on he took notes of ministerial meetings and drafted all the Queen's government letters when I can say about my political position is that I resolutely hold myself aloof from all parties. I speak openly with the ministers on all Tickets and ever quietly to be of as much used to Victoria in her position as I can. Sir Robert peel was aware of Prince Albert's artistic talents and invited him to chair the Royal commission to select pictures for the newly built Palace of Westminster. Albert was just 22. He had found a role at last as an energetic facilitator of great projects. At precisely this moment a new form of picture symbolic of the new technologies sweeping the country appeared Prince Albert was among the first to embrace the medium of Photography Prince Albert at 23 one of the first photographic portraits ever taken in Britain. And Queen Victoria the age of 25 with eldest daughter the Princess Royal in 1844. And here's another one of Prince Albert as a mature 29 year old by now. He was becoming an innovator determined to come to grips with the great industrial age sweeping Britain, but none of the rest of Europe were going through a dramatic change. The Industrial Revolution was produced. Great factories and Railways, but alongside that came Another Kind of Revolution social unrest as people's earnings and rights increased so did their aspirations but living conditions in the centers of work did not keep Pace Prince Albert rather than the queen was aware that the times were dangerous. As Royal houses on the continent began to buckle and fall on the popular revolution the princes diary for 1848 reflected his growing concerns. 7th of March it's a property of the French royal family is requested at Paris 10th of March riots in Munich 17th of March great riots among the peasantry inch Fabia 18th of March news of revolution in Berlin 4th of April disquieting views from Ireland 11th of April increase in energy and Germany. 18th of April a long conversation with Lord shaftesbury as to what can be done for working class has the view of the great social reformer Lord shaftesbury was the prince Albert should use his increasing power and Prestige to put himself at the head of all social movements in Art and Science and especially at those movements as they bear upon the poor and thus show the interest felt by royalty in the happiness of the Kingdom. Lord shaftesbury suggested the Prince Albert view a new type of housing that was being built in London for workers. The prince had already visited a slam dwelling and had been horrified abominable stinking holes fit neither for nano-based. 12th were then asked him to chair a meeting of the society for improving the condition of the laboring Class E a new organization building experimental Mass housing. I have just come from the modern lodging-house the opening of which we celebrate this day and I feel convinced that its existence will by degrees cause a complete change in the domestic Comforts of the laboring classes show those who possess capital. Invest that they may do so with great prophet and advantage to themselves at the same time dispensing those Comforts to the poorer of revelry. Prince Albert decided to put the royal family to work against a background of demonstrations by the chartist movement the milder reflection here of the republicanism sweeping Europe. The royal family was seen increasingly among their subjects the prince himself to the number of roles as president of charitable and educational organizations opening new hospitals and libraries. He tried to convey his genuine social concerns to the queen in April 18. 48 the chartist movement expected to march on Parliament with half a million men, but only 23,000 turned out Prince Albert wrote. We had a revolution yesterday and it went up in smoke. The law was Victorious. I hope this makes a good impression on the continent despite events elsewhere the crown it seemed had never been more popular and to give the queen and her family more security and privacy Prince Albert had built Osborne house a country Retreat on the Isle of Wight dispensing with Architects and working with expert Builders like Thomas Cubit Prince Albert found time to design and supervise. The building of Osborne house himself. Its conception tells us much about the princes ideas for fusing art with modern technology. This is the drawing room used by the queen and her family after dinner. The prince consort have designed it in an L shape so that the queen and her guests could sit here undisturbed by the gentleman playing billiards in the other part of the room Queen Victoria actually played Billiards Health Healthcare sometimes in the afternoons. I was born was above all a family home and by 1857 all nine Children of the royal couple had slept in this Nursery. Osborne house has been left today as though the royal couple still live there. Prince Albert laid out the park planting trees by semaphore signals from the main tower a model fourth was built by Punjabi to teach military maneuvers. That is good. That was an extensive Nature Museum like the one of his childhood. And how fast can it fly? But even as Osborne the queen was never far from the duties of State. Prince Albert had become the power beside the throne as he sat next to his wife drafting her letter, but she was clearly frustrated about the way successive governments had failed to recognize his services to the country Victoria wrote Oh If I Only Could make him King. To compensate the queen had a second door made leading into the council room at Osborne said that they could enter simultaneously for privy Council meetings. Then came possibly Prince Albert's finest achievement. He became a guiding force behind a festival of art science and engineering that would capture the spirit of the Victorian age. He had once admired the great conservatory at Chatsworth house in Derbyshire and when it's architect presented him with a daring plan to house the exhibition and a palace of glass the approved This is the first sketch for the great exhibition. It's a doodle on blotting paper by Joseph Paxton the designer of the Chatsworth Conservatory. At the start the great project hit difficulties many of the objections coming from establishment enemies of the foreign Prince. The Royal commission that the prince Chad had two aims it recognized the worldwide supremacy of British industry, but believed it could be further improved by exposing it to Superior design from abroad so by making the exhibition International the commission created a showpiece for free trade. This was strongly opposed by protectionists within the government. It was a question of whether this exhibition should be exclusively limited to British industry particular advantage to British industry might be derived from placing it in Fair competition with that of other nations. Then there was a problem of Finance the government declined to contribute. So the cost of a hundred and eight thousand pounds was raised by public subscription the queen and the prince provided 1,500 pounds, there was opposition to the use of the Hyde Park site led by a vociferous MP claims were made the too many trees would have to be felled. So instead Prince Albert built the exhibition round the elves. Just at present. I'm more dead than alive from Over the opponents of the exhibition work with might and Main to drive myself crazy on completion the Crystal Palace covered 16 Acres was three times the length of Saint Paul's Cathedral and made up of two hundred ninety three thousand pounds of glass. It had been put up from scratch in six months. That 100,000 exhibits had still to arrive from Britain and the four corners of the world for the opening in May 1851. Everybody is occupied with the great day of tomorrow. And my poor Albert is terribly fact terrible troubled is arrangements for the opening. this day is one of the greatest and most glorious days of our lives with which To my pride and joy dearly beloved Albert is forever associated. The Glimpse through the iron gates of the transept the waving pom-poms and flowers, the myriad's of people filling the galleries together with the flourish of trumpets as we entered the building gave a sensation. I shall never forget and I felt much moved. Among the ambassadors at the opening was a mysterious Chinaman dressed in satin who repeatedly bowed to the queen tactfully Victoria included him in the procession. He sing turned out to be an imposter. He was the owner of a Chinese junk more on the terms who pushed his way to the front. The exhibition was the greatest Treasure Trove of Industry Art and Science the world had ever seen British exhibits filled the entire Western Nave and foreign ones took up the eastern half. The Indian section was a cornucopia of gems silks Cotton's and great crowns in Precious Metals. There were elephant tusks and tiger skin the most popular exhibit was in the French section a fountain of out. Eau de cologne that ran continuously. Then there was the latest engine by James Watt possessing the collective power of 700 horsey a floating church for seafarers the Chloe nor done a soda water machine about easily converted into a comfortable mattress or safety lifebelt an india-rubber birth. Wigs that had built-in ventilation and a set of false teeth enabling the wearer to yawn. The exhibition was opened for six months and six million people attended the country's entire population was only 23 million. Prince Albert was able to write with satisfaction. So crowds art exhibition a bigger each day on the financial side. We naturally stand very well profits from the great exhibition what a hundred and eighty-six thousand pounds and Prince Albert wanted the money to encourage new design in British industry the Catalyst for the new schools of design will be a great cluster of museums in Kensington. His ideas led to Science Museum the Natural History Museum the Victoria and Albert Museum of Arts and Design and the Albert Hall for music and science exhibition. Although they weren't completed in his lifetime. The Museum's remain Prince Albert's greatest legacy to this country and they extended the influence of science Art and Design upon industry as a whole. An event in February 18-49 confirmed. Once again, the Queen's need for more privacy and security one of her sketchbooks was stolen from Windsor Castle and the contents published in a popular newspaper the times thundered let the queen of Great Britain be able to sit down to her piano or Sketchbook with the same security against intrusion as any other lady in the land. At around this time the royal couple acquired the Balmoral estate in Scotland. Its remote location was deliberately chosen to Shield the queen from repeated intrusion by the London press and he's the princes increasing exhaustion instead. Of course Prince Albert demolish the old castle and in three years designed and put up a new one the Balmoral of today. He wrote so new house is up one story and with its dress. Granite promises to present a noble appearance. The work is terribly hard the queen wrote every year my heart becomes more fixed in this dire Paradise. Now that all has become my dear Albert own creation own work own building only in out as that Osborne Balmoral was the couple's favorite place of Escape. They reveled in the healthy climate and scaled the great surrounding Hills. Highland life really captured their imagination and they became a little bit more Scottish on every visit just as Prince Albert has helped introduce the German Christmas to Windsor. So at Balmoral the royal couple lived out the romantics Cottage image of tartans kilts and bagpipes Edwin landseer was installed as the Colts favorite painter along with Carl hard. Even the ghillies were painted. The Laurel was always informed and it was here that Queen Victoria appears to have made up for the childhood. She had missed. It was wonderful. Not seeing a human being not hearing a sound accepting that of the wind or the call of the black cock or grouse. One of Queen Victoria's favorite houses. And certainly the most modest was here at Aetna dusek on the shores of Loch make about seven miles from the castle. There were two Gillies cottages and when the family wanted to be informal they came and stayed here. On one side which was joined by a covered passage to the other cartridge where the servants were. The queen wrote with the washing and cooking and everything going on in the line with one's own clothing. This court painters recorded the queen fishing and stalking deer. She was taught by local tenants. The salmon was spared here by one of the men after which we were very successful 7 salmon being caught some in the net and some speared. The scene at this beautiful spot was exciting and picturesque in the extreme. I wished for lancias pencil idyllic landscape paintings captured life of Balmoral for the royal couple and the normally restrained Prince Albert became more litical in his writing we have withdrawn for a short time into a complete. Aunt in solitude. We have one rarely sees a human face, but the snow already covers the mountaintops and the wild deer come creeping around the house. I know the man. I've also been Crawling After the harmless tags and today I Shot Two Reds, dear. Suddenly while he was at the height of his powers Prince Albert found himself in a very vulnerable position in 1853 public opinion swung violently against him over an issue of patriotism. It became known that the prince had advised the queen against sending a British Force to the Crimea to stop Russian expansion in the Eastern Mediterranean. It is too much that one man and he not an English man by birth should be at once foreign secretary commander-in-chief and prime minister under all administration's nevertheless. The controversy is soon died. Once the royal couple bowed to popular will unsupported the Expedition against Russia initially. The Crimean campaign was a disaster for the British on the men's soon became bogged down in trench warfare around the landing port of balaclava and they weren't dressed or equipped for fighting on Russian soil. There were no proper field hospitals and the dead were buried in rows by the ships in Port Paul William Russell the times correspondent at the front was the first to reveal the incompetence of the Expedition. This Army has melted away almost to a drop of miserable washed out worn-out spiritless wretches who muster out of 55,000 just 11,000 fit to shoulder a musket. It is with feelings of surprise and anger that the public will learn that no sufficient medical preparations have been made for the proper care of the wounded. It's interesting to note that my old regiment XI is ours which are discarded Prince Albert from David London when he came to Mary Queen Victoria found itself 14 years later Leading The Charge of the Light Brigade. That charge effectively ended the Battle of balaclava out of a hundred and ten officers and Men Who galloped into the Russian line less than 1/4 return. The Army was in a mess. The queen concerned about morale regularly visited those wounded who are fit enough to be evacuated. Meanwhile, the prince was approached by certain senior officers and asked to reorganize the whole structure of the army. I Hazard the In that Army as at the present organized can hardly be called an army at all, but a mere aggregate of battalions of infantry with son regiments of Cavalry and an artillery regiment principles intervention turned out to be crucial. The Army was organized for Grand foreign Expeditions. So he devised a system of Supply bases leading all the way to the battlefields of the Crimea. They had to start in the south of England. So first he looked for open land that was close to Railways and embarkation ports and could be used for Maneuvers and the base that all the shock came into being. Prince Albert advocated the setting up of hospitals at the main Supply Port of balaclava and close to the front and here you can see balaclava. With the hospital here on top of the hill. Finally Prince Albert ordered a railway to be built at full speed from the Allied base at balaclava to the Russian stronghold at Sebastopol. It was to supply the besieging British French and Turkish troops. He judged that when sevastopol fell the war will be over and here you can see that strongly defended fault in Sebastopol. The railway was effective in getting ammunition to the front. These are some of the remains of the Russian defenses around Sebastopol after the bushes and French artillery had smashed their way through when the queen took the solute at a Victory Parade in London of men who charged the Defenses at Sebastopol The Prestige of the crown couldn't have been higher. But Prince Albert's 15 years of hard work came at a price his health was deteriorating photographic portrait show the 40 year old Prince aging prematurely. His hair is receding his waist thickening his loving wife already regarded him as an official Sovereign and when the wig government of 1857 found yet another reason for not giving him the status of Prince consort Queen Victoria out of frustration awarded him the title herself. In December 1861. The idyllic marriage was suddenly over Prince Albert had caught a chill the doctors terrified of alarming the queen kept the seriousness of his. Illness from in the end. I told her that it was gastric fever every Victorian knew what that meant typhoid. The sauce has been suggested with the notoriously unreliable and Insanity drains here at Windsor Castle throughout December his condition gradually deteriorated. On the night of the 14th. The queen had tortured breathing coming from the blue room where Prince Albert Lea she rushed to his side and whispered in German. This is dusk line of Frozen. It is your little wife kiss me. Two or three long, but perfectly gentle breaths would roll the hand clasping mine and pretend to be sick to write it. All all was over. I guess this dear heavenly forehead and called out in a bitter and agonizing cry. I went to my room and I sat gazing wildly and as hard as Stone on my mate, the queen was brought to bed. She was given a little opiate. She tried to sleep but kept waking crying and crying. Doctors warn the queen not the case the body shown in this photograph for the first time then the blue room was carefully and meticulously photograph for the remaining 40 Years of Queen Victoria's reign it stayed exactly as it was when he died as the bell of st. Paul's began to toll the whole country went into mourning the queen wore black until the end of her days and the Effigy Of The Prince consort was present at all dark. as family gatherings A great statue was put up a Balmoral. As well as a can on one of the surrounding Hills. The mauseleum the whole consulted was built at Frogmore on the Windsor estate where the queen had said that one day. She would lie next to him. After the prince consort died Queen Victoria cried in her anguish. There is no one left to call me Victoria. Now. The queen was heartbroken. She didn't carry out public duties again. for five years Right at the farthest corner of the Balmoral estate on the shores of Loch neck stands the glass old. Queen Victoria used to come here to seek Solitude after she lost Prince Albert and it was here that she felt she still had some contact with him. The house has hardly changed at all since the queen lived and grieved here for the prince who danced so much to change her life and the life of this country. You can see part 2 of Victoria and Albert tomorrow at the same time on UK history in a few minutes the face of Tutankhamun. If you haven't heard about anger is the easiest way to make a podcast. Let me explain it's free. There's certain creation tools that allow you to record and edit your podcast right from your phone or computer. Anchor will distribute your podcast for you. So it can be heard on Spotify Apple podcast and many more you can make money from your podcast with no minimum listenership. It's everything you need to make a podcast in one place. Download the free anchor app or go to Anchored FM to get started. Thank you for listening to this episode of queen bee the life of Queen Victoria. Remember if you would like to support this podcast. You can look in the show description notes to find a link. 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Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. On 1 May 1876, she adopted the additional title of Empress of India. Known as the Victorian era, her reign of 63 years and seven months was longer than that of any of her predecessors. It was a period of industrial, cultural, political, scientific, and military change within the United Kingdom, and was marked by a great expansion of the British Empire. Victoria was the daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (the fourth son of King George III), and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. After both the Duke and his father died in 1820, she was raised under close supervision by her mother and her comptroller, John Conroy. She inherited the throne aged 18 after her father's three elder brothers died without surviving legitimate issue. The United Kingdom was an established constitutional monarchy in which the sovereign held relatively little direct political power. Privately, she attempted to influence government policy and ministerial appointments; publicly, she became a national icon who was identified with strict standards of personal morality. Victoria married her cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1840. Their children married into royal and noble families across the continent, earning Victoria the sobriquet "the grandmother of Europe" and spreading haemophilia in European royalty. After Albert's death in 1861, Victoria plunged into deep mourning and avoided public appearances. As a result of her seclusion, republicanism in the United Kingdom temporarily gained strength, but in the latter half of her reign, her popularity recovered. Her Golden and Diamond Jubilees were times of public celebration. She died on the Isle of Wight in 1901. The last British monarch of the House of Hanover, she was succeeded by her son Edward VII of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Victoria's father was Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, the fourth son of the reigning King of the United Kingdom, George III. Until 1817, Edward's niece, Princess Charlotte of Wales, was the only legitimate grandchild of George III. Her death in 1817 precipitated a succession crisis that brought pressure on the Duke of Kent and his unmarried brothers to marry and have children. In 1818 he married Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, a widowed German princess with two children—Carl (1804–1856) and Feodora (1807–1872)—by her first marriage to the Prince of Leiningen. Her brother Leopold was Princess Charlotte's widower. The Duke and Duchess of Kent's only child, Victoria, was born at 4.15 a.m. on 24 May 1819 at Kensington Palace in London. Victoria was christened privately by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Charles Manners-Sutton, on 24 June 1819 in the Cupola Room at Kensington Palace. She was baptised Alexandrina after one of her godparents, Emperor Alexander I of Russia, and Victoria, after her mother. Additional names proposed by her parents—Georgina (or Georgiana), Charlotte, and Augusta—were dropped on the instructions of Kent's eldest brother George, Prince Regent. At birth, Victoria was fifth in the line of succession after the four eldest sons of George III: the Prince Regent (later George IV); Frederick, Duke of York; William, Duke of Clarence (later William IV); and Victoria's father, Edward, Duke of Kent. The Prince Regent had no surviving children, and the Duke of York had no children; further, both were estranged from their wives, who were both past child-bearing age, so the two eldest brothers were unlikely to have any further legitimate children. William and Edward married on the same day in 1818, but both of William's legitimate daughters died as infants. The first of these was Princess Charlotte, who was born and died on 27 March 1819, two months before Victoria was born. Victoria's father died in January 1820, when Victoria was less than a year  ---   This episode is sponsored by  · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. 