Alexandria Victoria (1819-1901) was one of the most important female monarchs in history. Commonly known as Queen Victoria, she succeeded her uncle, William IV, and ruled Great Britain and Ireland between 1837 and 1901. (History.com) Queen Victoria is known for her involvement in foreign affairs, as well as her social impact on the Romantic Period, otherwise known as the Victorian Era. (My Perspectives, 550) However, her success could not have been achieved without the influence of her husband, Prince Albert, son of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (1819-1861). (Biography.com) Prince Albert was not only Queen Victoria’s husband, but her secretary and advisor as well. (Biography.com) Prince Albert guided his wife through many of the hardships she had to control, such as the Crimean War and the Irish Potato Famine. (Heritage History) Queen Victoria consistently listened to her husband, taking his advice and making her reign one of the most memorable of all time. He gave Queen Victoria the catalyst to address child labor, social welfare, and political neutrality. He also assisted her during the Trent Affair with the United States (1861) and her foreign disputes with Prussia (1856). (Biography.com) Without Prince Albert, Queen Victoria may have never been successful when addressing these affairs, which would have changed the course of history. On December 14, 1861, Prince Albert passed away due to typhoid, causing Queen Victoria to go into a state of eternal mourning. (Biography.com) Queen Victoria began to neglect her duties and isolate herself from her subjects, resulting in multiple assassination attempts and a republican movement. (Britroayls.com) This emotional state brought a decline to her popularity. The only person to “coax her out of her seclusion” was Benjamin Disraeli, a leader of the Conservative Party at the time. Her popularity as queen rose with age when she hit her 50th and 60th year as queen, celebrating these milestones with the traditional golden and diamond jubilees. (History.com) However, she could never get over Prince Albert’s death. She joined her husband in death on January 22, 1901, making her son, Edward VII, King of England. The Queen mourned for her husband even in death. By her request, photographs, clothes, and a plaster cast of Prince Albert’s hand were placed inside the Queen’s coffin before she was lowered inside. (Rosenberg) Queen Victoria is known for her long and successful reign as queen. She will always be known for her social impact, her handling of foreign affairs, and the impact she made on the Romantic Period. However, all of her success could not have been achieved without the advice and support of her loving husband, Prince Albert. Without him, the entire future of the world could have changed. Without him, we would have never had the Great Exhibition, child labor laws, and the peace between the United States and Great Britain after the Trent Affair. (Biography.com) Without Prince Albert, the Victorian Era would have never revolutionized the 20th century. Without Prince Albert, Queen Victoria would have been just another monarch on the throne. Prince Albert was the pen that wrote the Victorian Era into every history book in the world. Prince Albert was the Queen’s salvation. He was her best friend. Works Cited History.com Staff. "Queen Victoria." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 24 Apr. 2017. <http://www.history.com/topics/british-history/queen-victoria>. Morrell, Ernest, et al. My Perspectives. New York: Pearson Education Inc., 2017. Print. British and World Literature. "Prince Albert." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 08 July 2014. Web. 25 Apr. 2017. <http://www.biography.com/people/prince-albert-20845371>. "Queen Victoria (1837 - 1901)." Queen Victoria | Britroyals. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017. <https://www.britroyals.com/kings.asp?id=victoria>. "Queen Victoria dies." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2017. <http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/queen-victoria-dies>. Rosenberg, Jennifer. "How Did Queen Victoria Die?" ThoughtCo. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2017. <https://www.thoughtco.com/queen-victoria-dies-1779176>. "Victoria I." Heritage History | Homeschool History Curriculum. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2017. <http://www.heritage-history.com/?c=academy&s=char-dir&f=victoria>.
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