The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-01-24
HER LONG REIGN HAS ENDED.
Death of Queen Alexandria Victoria, of
England.
EDWARD THE SEVENTH IS NOW KING
For Nearly SXty-fo Years the Late Queen Has Occu-
pied the Throne--Sketch of Her Life and Some
of the Events of Her Reign

India, was born May "a, 1919. She
was the only child of Edward, Duke
of Kent, fourth son of George III.
Victoria was born at Kensington
Palace. Her mother was Victoria
Marie Louisa, daughter of Fran els,
Duke of Saxe-Coburg, and sister of
Leopold, King of the Belgians.
Victoria's mother was twice mar
ried, her first husband being the
Prince of Leiningen, who died in 1914.
Four years after his death Victoria
Marie Louisa, mother of England's
dead Queen, married the Duke of
Kent, the Queens father. The Duke
died two years later; after his child
his only child-had been born. At
the time of his death the late Queen
was only 8 month old. The infant
was baptized with the names Alex
andrina Victoria.
The Duchess of Northumberland
was associated with the mother in the
work OF educating the Princess. Her
early political education tended to
make her a Wing, her father having
been affiliated with that party in
England. To the Viscount Melbourne
is due credit for having thoroughly
instructed her in the British Con sti-
tuition. The daughter of the Duke of
Kent assembled the throne of the Uni
ted Kingdom on the death of her I'M
Gle, William w., June 20, 1887. Her
uncle, the Duke of Cumberland, be-
came King of Hanover by virtue of
the law excluding females from the
throne, and so the long connection
between the crowns of Hanover and
England was terminated.
Victoria was proclaimed Queen on
June 81, 1887, and crowned at West
minister on June %, 1888 She found
on her accession that Niscount Mel
bourne was at the head of the govern
ment. On a change of the admins
tration, in 1899, she refused to change,
in accordance with precedent, the
ladies of the bed-chamber. The re
suit was that Peel resigned and Mel
bourne's administration was pro
longed until 1871. A year earlier,
February 10, 1910, the young Queen
was married, in st. James Palace, to
Prince Albert, Prince of Saxe-Coburg
and Gotha and second son of the then
reigning Duke.
The long reign, nearly "a years, is
the longest in the history of England.
1t has also been of the greatest, and
so closely was the Queen identified
with it it was known as the Victorian
era. In it Britain has grown both in
ternally and externally, her posses
sions becoming more numerous in the
various parts of the world, and her
civilization keeping pace with her
growth. Her reign was not peace
full reign, as wars and rumors of war
were never wanting during her Ion g
career. She lived to see England tri
umphant over the country's enemies,
however, and maintain her position
as the empire power of the world.
In 1861 Victoria's husband died and
for several years the Queen secluded
herself from public life. She never
neglected her duties as Queen during
this tinon hnNrauar In Il,
further honored, the title Empress
of India being added to her royal
titles.
No former monarch ever so thor
oughly comprehended the great truth
that the powers of the Crown are held
in trust for the people, and are the
means and not the end of govern
ment. This enlightened policy enti-
tied her to the glorious distinction of
being the most constitutional mon
arch Britain ever possessed Many
claim that the Queens power was
curbed to such an extent that she was
little more than figurehead, but
there can be little doubt that she was
a real power and that she was instru-
mental in bringing to England many
of its richest blessings.
Queen Victoria had four sons and
five daughters Albert Edward,
Prince of Wales; Alfred Ernest Albert,
Duke of Saxe-Coburg; Arthur Will
liam Patrick Albert, Duke of Con
naught; Victoria Adelaide Marie
Louisa, Empress (Frederick) of Ger
many; Helena Augusta Victoria, Prin-
cess Christian of Schleswig- Holstein;
Louise Carolina Alberta, Marchioness
of Lorne, and Beatrice Mary Victoria