Queen Victoria

Q: Why is Queen Victoria so famous?

Queen Victoria is famous because she ruled Britain for 63 years, saw the British Empire greatly expand, and her name was given to the Victorian Era, a period of great social, political, and industrial change.

Q: How is Queen Elizabeth related to Queen Victoria?

Queen Elizabeth II is the great-great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria.

Q: How old was Queen Victoria when she died?

Queen Victoria was 82 when she died on 22 January 1901.

Q: What were Queen Victoria's greatest achievements?

Queen Victoria's greatest achievements included presiding over the largest empire the world had seen and keeping the monarchy popular when other European countries experienced republican revolutions.

Mark Cartwright

Definition

Queen Victoria of Great Britain (r. 1837-1901) was one of the most loved of all Britain's monarchs. Her longevity, devotion to her role as figurehead of an empire, and recovery from the death of her beloved husband Prince Albert won her a unique status as the ever-present symbol of 19th-century Britain, an era of tremendous political, industrial, and social changes.

More about: Queen Victoria

Timeline

24 May 1819
Alexandrina Victoria, future Queen Victoria, is born in Kensington Palace, London.
1837 - 1901
Reign of Queen Victoria in Britain.
20 Jun 1837
18-year-old Queen Victoria succeeds her uncle King William IV as monarch of England and is crowned on 28 June. She reigned for 63 years, seven months, and two days, until 22 January 1901, and gave her name to the Victorian Era of the 19th century.
20 Jun 1837
William IV of Great Britain dies of cirrhosis of the liver and pneumonia.
28 Jun 1838
Queen Victoria is crowned at Westminster Abbey in London, England, at the age of 19.
28 Jun 1838
The coronation of Queen Victoria in Westminster Abbey.
10 Feb 1840
Queen Victoria marries her cousin Albert of Saxe-Coburg & Gotha.
10 Jun 1840
The first of several failed assassination attempts on Queen Victoria while riding a carriage in London.
9 Nov 1841
Albert Edward, eldest son of Queen Victoria and future Edward VII of Great Britain, is born.
Jul 1850
The Koh-i-Noor diamond is presented to Queen Victoria.
May 1851 - 15 Oct 1851
The Great Exhibition is held in London's Crystal Palace.
1 May 1851
The Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace opens in Hyde Park, London, England with Queen Victoria officiating. The event, known as The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, was the first of the popular world's fairs of the 19th century and ran until 15 October of the same year.
1853 - 1856
The Crimean War.
1857 - 1858
The Sepoy Mutiny (aka The Uprising or First Indian War of Independence) against the East India Company.
2 Aug 1858
The British state takes full possession of East India Company territories in India.
16 Aug 1858
The first official, public transatlantic telegraph message is sent between Queen Victoria of England and US President James Buchanan. The message from Victoria congratulated Buchanan on the telegraph cable and Buchanan's later response acknowledged this.
14 Dec 1861
The death of Albert, Prince Consort, husband of Queen Victoria.
8 Apr 1871
The Royal Albert Hall is opened in London.
1 Jun 1877
Queen Victoria is given the title of Empress of India.
14 Dec 1878
Death of Princess Alice, daughter of Queen Victoria.
Mar 1884
The youngest son of Queen Victoria, Leopold, Duke of Albany, dies after a bad fall.
Jun 1887
The Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria.
1891
Free schools are made available to all in Britain.
Jun 1897
The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.
22 Jan 1901
Queen Victoria of England dies at the age of 81 after reigning for almost 64 years, the longest-reigning monarch in British history until Queen Elizabeth II.
22 Jan 1901
Queen Victoria dies at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.