In December 1871 Bertie lay in Sandringham very sick.
Sandringham House is a country house in the parish of Sandringham, Norfolk. It is one of the royal residences of Charles III, whose grandfather, George VI, and great-grandfather, George V, both died there.
In November 1871, Bertie, the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII), became seriously ill with typhoid fever. This caused great alarm within the royal family and the public, as it was the same disease that had claimed the life of his father, Prince Albert, ten years prior. The Prince of Wales had likely contracted the illness after attending a party at Londesbough Lodge near Scarborough. His condition was initially severe, but he eventually recovered, with his health improving by mid-December.
Bertie was married to Elizabeth but he was unfaithful. There was an episode in which he got involved in the divorce of Sir Charles Mordaunt. In 1869, Lady Mordaunt gave birth to an illegitimate daughter, Violet, and then confessed that she entertained other men, inclusing the Prince of Wales. tHer husband was enraged. He sued for divorce. Lady Mordaunt's father, who had several other daughters to marry off, announced that she was mad. That would prevent a divorce trial and save the family reputation. She was incarcerated in various rented houses and after some weeks either broke down or agreed to feign madness: smashing plates, eating coal, howling and crawling. The case was brought to court and the Prince of Wales was called as a witness; he admitted visiting Lady Mordaunt but nothing further was proved.
That year the queen had been very upset about an antimonarchic pamphlet 'what does She Do With It? whose author was probably George Otto Trevelyan. The pamphlet highlighted the Queen's seclusion and questioned her engagement with the public, contributing to a decline in her popularity during her years of isolation.
Charles Dilke delivered a speech calling for monarchy's abolition. Sir Charles Wentworth Dilke was an English Liberal and Radical politician.
The Queen was very upset that her son may die. He was not the only one to suffer from typhoid fever as some servants also got sick, and one even died. In 1867 Alix suffered a severe attack of fever that left her with a life-long limp. Princess Alexandra of Denmark, later Queen Alexandra, developed a limp after suffering from rheumatic fever following the birth of her third child in 1867. This limp, which was the result of a damaged right knee, became a peculiar fashion trend in Victorian society, with women imitating her walk, which became known as the "Alexandra limp".
Victoria hated politician William Gladstone. William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British politican, starting as Conservative MP for Newark and later becoming the leader of the Liberal Party. In a career lasting over 60 years, he was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for 12 years, spread over four non-consecutive terms beginning in 1868 and ending in 1894.
When Bertie recovered his health, Victoria attended a Thanksgiving service in St Paul.
In 1877 Europe is at war, and Victoria goes to Hughenden Manor on 15 December 1877 to talk about the war with her Prime Minister, Disraeli. Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield was a British statesman, Conservative politician and writer who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Hughenden Manor, Hughenden, Buckinghamshire, England, is a Victorian mansion, with earlier origins, that served as the country house of the Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli.
There is a great deal of speculation about Victoria's faithful servant, John Brown. John Brown (8 December 1826 – 27 March 1883) was a Scottish personal attendant and favourite of Queen Victoria for many years after working as a ghillie for Prince Albert. He was appreciated by many (including the Queen) for his competence and companionship, and resented by others (most notably her son and heir apparent, the future Edward VII, the rest of the Queen's children, ministers, and the palace staff) for his influence and informal manner.
After his death, Victoria wanted to write a book about him, and her secretary Henry Ponsonby and the dean of Windsor, Randall Davison, thought that it would be a bad idea, and the dean eventually made her see sense.
Major-General Sir Henry Frederick Ponsonby (10 December 1825 – 21 November 1895) was a British soldier and royal court official who served as Queen Victoria's Private Secretary.
Randall Thomas Davidson (7 April 1848 – 25 May 1930) was an Anglican bishop who was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1903 to 1928. Randall Davidson served as the Dean of Windsor from 1883 to 1891. He was also a chaplain to Queen Victoria.
In this chapter we learn that Victoria left the blue room, where Albert had died, just as it was when Albert was alive. In the aftermath of Albert's death Victoria decreed that the room should "be kept in its present state" and "not made use of in the future". Victoria described the preservation of the room as a living beautiful monument". For the next 40 years from Albert's death until her own in 1901, the Blue Room was maintained as if Albert were still alive. A jug of hot water was delivered as it was when he was alive and needed to shave, and fresh clothes were laid out on the bed. The unused chamber pot was also removed and cleaned. A bust of Albert by the sculptor William Theed was placed between the beds in the room with a memorial wreath, and copious flowers decorated the room.
Victoria published two books with her diaries. "Leaves from the Journal of Our Life in the Highlands" is a book by Queen Victoria, first published in 1868. It chronicles her personal experiences and travels in Scotland, particularly at Balmoral Castle, with her husband, Prince Albert. The book offers a glimpse into their private life, their love for the Scottish Highlands, and their shared interests. It was initially a private publication, given to family and friends, before being released to the public.
"More Leaves from the Journal of a Life in the Highlands, from 1862 to 1882" is a book by Queen Victoria, published after the success of her first journal, "Leaves from the Journal of Our Life in the Highlands." This second book focuses on the period after the death of Prince Albert, from 1862 to 1882, and includes details of her travels, outings, and experiences in the Scottish Highlands. The book features pen and ink illustrations and offers an intimate portrait of the Queen during this period of her life.
In 1885 Prince Beatrice got married. Beatrice was Victoria's youngest child, and it was believed that she would always stay with her mother. Yet, during a trip to Germany she met Prince Henry of Battenberg and they fell in love. Victoria disapproved of the engagement, but she eventually came around when the couple agreed that he would leave the army and come to live in England.
Henry of Battenberg died when he contracted malaria during an expedition in Africa. In November 1895, Prince Henry persuaded Queen Victoria to allow him to go to West Africa to fight in the Ashanti War. He served as the military secretary to the commander-in-chief of British forces. He contracted malaria , and subsequently died aboard the cruiser HMS Blonde stationed off the coast of Sierra Leone.
Another important servant for victoria was Abdul Karim. Mohammed Abdul Karim (1863 — 20 April 1909), also known as "the Munshi", was an Indian attendant of Queen Victoria. He served her during the final fourteen years of her reign, gaining her maternal affection over that time.
One of his most vocal opponents was the queen's doctor, Dr James Reid. Sir James Reid (23 October 1849 – 28 June 1923) was a British doctor who served as physician-in-ordinary to three British monarchs: Queen Victoria.
During a visit to the French Riviera, the Queen stayed in the Excelsior Hotel Regina, and there was a confrontation about Abdul because Dr Reid had learnt that he had not been totally truthful. Yet, Queen Victoria kept loyal to him.
On 22 June 1897 London celebrated teh Diamond Jubilee of the Queen. The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria was officially celebrated on 22 June 1897 to mark the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Queen Victoria's accession on 20 June 1837. On the festival of June 22, flags, buntings, and banners decorated the streets and covered buildings during the day. At night, electric lights, Chinese lanterns, fireworks, and massive bonfires lit up the sky. Jubilee processions took place in almost every populated centre.
In January 1901 Queen Victoria died. It has not been a good year for her. Her grandson Alfred (Affie) committed suicide. Alfred, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, attempted suicide by gunshot in January 1899 during his parents' silver wedding anniversary celebrations in Gotha. He died a few weeks later in Meran, Austria. The exact circumstances surrounding his death are unclear, with some accounts suggesting it was related to a self-inflicted gunshot wound following a dispute with his mother, while others cite illness as the cause.
Her favourite grandson Christian Victor died of malaria. Prince Christian Victor was Queen Victoria's grandson, the eldest son of her daughter Helena.Whilst serving in the Boer War he contracted malaria and died of enteric fever in Pretoria in October 1900.
Queen Victoria was very sick at Osborne House, and she died in the presence of her family.
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