The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-01-23

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January, 1920, while the duke and his
FAMILY were living at Sidmouth, in
Devonshire, he came in from an OPEN
air jaunt and sat down to play with
his baby daughter. He could not tear
himself away from her long enough to
change his wet clothes. and as a re-
suit suffered a chill and was prostrated
with pneumonia, from which he died
January %. Victoria was then eight
months old.
SIX DAYS later, his father, George H.
breathed his last and the prince regent
came to the throne as George ". He
reigned ten years and then the queens
uncle, the Duke of Clarence, acceded as
William ", Williams two daughters
having died In infancy. and his brother
the Duke of York, had no family. So
| II came about that in 1887. when King
William died the succession fen to Vic
| toria. The childhood of the young
| princess was passed quietly in Eng
| land. Her education was directed by
| her mother and her uncle, Prince Leo
| pold of Sake Coburg. The latter an
| ticipated the destiny which awaited the
| young girl and instructed her in much
that it becomes a queen to know.
On the Throne.
| Victoria ascended the throne at tho
ase of is. From the first she was pop
| uar with her subjects.
England at the time of the queens
! accession was torn with party strife.
| Her grandfather, George ", and her
unCles who had followed him on the
| thorne had not considered it beneath
l T,If,, L
| battles of the day and they duarreled
constantly with their ministers. Hence
delicate task confronted Victoria and
1t was womanly tact which came to
her aid in accomplishing it. The queen
tacitly established the principle that
the sovereign shall not participate in
the political contests or disputes in the
realm nor interfere i'm the government
| so long as it is honorably conducted.
In future 1t is doubtful If this princi-
pie can ever be disregarded.
The coronation of the queen took
place year after her accession on June
2s. 1888, In Westminster Abbey. In the
fall of 1899 the queen announced to her
ministers her bethrothal to her cousin
Prince Albert, OF Saxe-Coburg. The
marriage took place on Feb. 10. ls45
|
| rejoicines.
Happy Married Life.
The married life Of Victoria was a
happy one. She deeply loved her hus-
band and their married happiness fur.
nshes a shining exception to the rule
of infeliCity and misery which so often
governs royal matches arranged for
political ends.
The period of the queens marie |
life. extending over twenty-one years,
was the time of her greatest activity.
Court functions were numerous and III
royal pair attended many balls. cons
ccrts and exhibitions and took n prom
inent part In charitable enterprises.
The first visit to Irelant was made
in lS49 and the queen and prince con-
sort We're received in Dublin witch
, great enthusiasm. In 1912, year e.,
grea: financial stress and suffering III
England, an attempt was mad" on The
queens life. \ man named Francis
fired at her with a revolver as she was
driving past, but the bullet went wiit
! of the mark. Another attCmpt t. kil
the queen WAS made at Windsor IN
t 1852.
, The queen bore her huSblnu rim.
children and all but two of them, tn,
: Princess Alice, (diod 1879, and tht
. Duke of Albany, ldcd lSSD, survive
t The Prince of Wales was born i'm 1871
4. and succeeds to the throne as Ed
ward VII.