The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-02-05
written for The Progressive Farmer.l
England's Greatest Queen.
BV SALLIE v. GTOcEARs,
Author of "The History of Alamance."

Great Britain when she was little
more than eighteen years old. King
William ", who was the third son
of George III, left no children. 20
the next heir to the throne was the
daughter of his brother, the Duke
of Kent, the fourth son OF
George III.
The young Princess, Alexandrina
Victoria, was born at Kensington
Palace, a very few months before
her fathers death. So her early
training was under the care Of her
mother, the Duchess Of Kent, a
true, good mother and woman OF
culture. who fulfilled most faithfully
her duty to her child. The young Prin-
cess Victoria was not only we'll edu-
Gated, but was brought up, like other
good parents reared their children,
to be courageous, s~elf-reliant, eco
nomical and prudent. 1t was we'll
understood that hers would be no
OIulIdIy OOu1SO LII 1AO1 ""N O'O-J
care was taken that her mind and
heart might be we'll fitted for her
high position and the tests of char
acter that this would bring with 1T.
At 10 years of age Princess VictO-
ria was a very beautiful girl. Upon
the death of the King, high officials
came to announce to her that she
was queen and her mOdesty, dignity,
and good sense SO charmed them as
to win a lasting high regard. 1 have
seen a picture representing Victoria
as she received the news Of her sue
CessiOn to the throne. The Arch
bishop of Canterbury and the Lord
Chamberlain had the official duty Of
making known to her the death OF
the King and that she reigned in his
stead. They arrived at KensingtOn
Palace at 5 o'clock in the morning.
All was silent they had to ring and
knock some time before they could
arouse the porter to open the gate.
They asked for the Princess Victoria
and were denied her presence. They
explained that theirs vas business of
of state, and that even her sleep
must give way to it. They were
ushered into a waiting room adjOin-
ing her bed-chamber. When the
young Queen wa: reused she did not
keep them long waiting. In a few
minutes she came into the room in
a long, loose white gown and Il shawl,
her feet in slippers, her fair hairfall-
ing over her shoulders, tears in her
eyes, but her classic face and slen-
der figure perfectly calm and digni-
fled. She gave them each her beau
tiful hand to kiss and knelt before
the Archbishop for his blessing.
The scene was over in five minutes,
and they were gone to call a meet
ing of the Privy Council, summoned
at II o'clock, when the Lord Cham
berlain administered the usual oath
to the Queen, and the new Sovereign
received in turn the Oaths of allie
glance of the Cabinet ministers and
others present.
"NOthing could be-" says a prom
inent historian, "mOre calm, COM
posed and dignifed than .the de-
meanor of this young Queen" The
Duke of Cumberland, an enemy to
the accession of Victoria Ga plot was
made for his accession which was
not carried Out) was the first to take
the oath. He left England and be-
came King of Hanover, a tyrant
England and the world may justly
feel thankful to have escaped.
More great and ~illustrious men
have lived in the reign of Victoria
than in hat of any other monarch
of the world, perhaps. England's
Parliaments during her reign have
been marked by thought and elo-
quence and power. Robert Peele,
Lord Palmerston Gladstone, Disraeli,
Golden, and Bright, Lord Lynhurst,
Lord John Russell, O'Connell, the
great Irish tribune; Grote, the His
torian; Lord Bulwer Lytton-this
was the true harvest of the revival
of learning, a greater development
and wider culture than that of Eliza
beth. Truly, English womanhood
should feel grateful for the excellent
record of Queen Victoria.
In 1887, the year Of Victoria's sue
c~ession, Lord Tennyson wrote e'In
Memoriam." Tennyson, with the
~BrOwnings, their work all undone