The Portland daily press., 1901-01-23
QUEENS LIFE STORY.
Brief Outline of Her Most Marvellous
Career.

Career.
1t was on May "a, 1919, that girl
child. who was to rule millions of people
in widely separated portions of the hab.
liable globe, was born in dingy old Ken
sington palace. She was tho only
daughter of the Duke and Duchess of
Kent, granddaughter of George III
then King OF England, and niece of the
then Prince of Wales, afterward King
William Ill In due time she was chris
ened Victoria, and from the beginning
ber education and training were of the
most careful, although it would have
been a wild fancy indeed that had pre-
dicted such career as she was actually
destined to fill, there being at that time
several lives between her and the throne
Victoria came of age on May 81, 1887.
and on June 20, less than month later,
she was declared Queen of England
William Ill. having just died, 1t was in
the middle of the night that the young
girl was notified that she had become
Queen of Great Britain aud sovereign of
an empire so vast that on it the sun
never sets. The messengers who con-
veyed to her the news Of her accession
to the throne were the Archbishop of
Canterbury, the lord chamberlain, and
Sir Henry Halford.
On being informed of her new dignity
u, t,,t tr, hnp
ing herself to tho archbishop, exclaimed,
Il beg your grace to pray for me- Her
coronation occurred juno 2S, 1898.
Queen Victoria. year after her
coronation at Westminster Abbey, on
June 2s. 1888, invited her cousin, Prince
Albert of Saxe-Coburg- Gotha, to share
his life with her. 1t is only stating the
truth to say of this marriage, however,
that it was one that had been agreed up
on for many years, providing Victoria
herself approved OF the young man. For
a time she is recorded as having been not
well pleased with him, but there is no
doubt that she fell in love with him be-
fore the union was proposed by her.
The nuptials took place on the 10th of
February, 1910, at the Chapel Royal, st.
James palace.
Tha marriage proved an exceptionally
happy one. Prince Albert turned ont TO
be an absolutely ideal husband, being a
man of singularly stainless and ire
proachable character. Queen Victoria's
domestic bliss was absolutely unclouded
as long as her husband lived, and she
was guilty of no exaggeration when she
declared that the only sorrow which he
had ever caused her was when he died.
People in this country will remember
him as warm friend of the United
States. His amicable feelings with re-
gard to America were manifested on nu.
merous occasions. He died December
IA, 1861.
From the time of her husbands death
the Queen was scarcely ever seen in pub
lie until the year 1872, when she pro-
ceeded in state, together with tho entire
royal family, TO st. Paufs cathedral to
join in national Thanksgiving service
for the recovery of the Prince of Wales
from the dangerous illness which had
brought him so very near deaths door
the year before.
On June 20, 1887, the Queen once more
made state progress through her great
capital to attend a special service at
Westminster Abbey, in honor of the
semi centennial anniversary of her ac-
cession to the throne. Every reigning
house in the world sent either members
of their families or great dignitaries to
represent them at the ceremony.
Seven times during her reign was
Queen Victoria's life attempted, but on
ly on one occasion, in May, 1850 did Her
Majesty receive any actual injury, and
aud that OF mere transitory character.
Her assailant on that occasion was dis
missed officer of hussars, and he was
seized before he had time to accomplish
more than strike her sharp blow in the
face with a stick. The manswas SEN
need TO seven years transportation. D
The first attempt to assassinate her
was made in June, 1910, by man
named oxford, who fred two pistol
shots at her while she was driving ap
Constitution Hill with her husband. The
would-be murderer MAS detained several