Victoria

Alexandrina Victoria (1819 – 1901) was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 and Empress of India from 1876 until her death. Victoria's 64-year rule of the United Kingdom was the longest of any of British monarch, or any female monarch in history, until the 70-year reign of her great-great-granddaughter . Her reign, dubbed as the "Victorian era", was marked by the Industrial Revolution, the British Empire's expansion to encompass all five continents, and her surviving seven assassination attempts.
==Biography==
===Early life and reign===
Alexandrina Victoria was born in in London to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn and German-born Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Due to her father's and grandfather George III's deaths, Alexandrina was raised by her mother, a childhood she later described as "rather melancholy".Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Database: Queen Victoria
She inherited the throne at age 18 and married her first cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1840, becoming Queen Victoria. Contrary to tradition, Victoria proposed to Albert as she was the Queen. She then gave birth to nine children; Victoria, Albert, , Alfred, Helena, Louise, Arthur, , and . Their nine children later married into royal and noble families in Europe, earning her the nickname "the grandmother of Europe".
After Albert's death in 1861, Victoria plunged into deep mourning and vanished from the public eye. Her popularity recovered, however, in the later years of her reign. In October 1863, Victoria grew close to one of Albert's servants, John Brown; this relationship prompted rumors that the Queen had taken another lover.XIXth Century Search Engine – "Who Is the Mysterious John Brown?" On 23 and 25 April 1865, Victoria received emotionally moving letters from her Belgian uncle Leopold I concerning his health. In her 27 April reply, she discussed her daughter Helena's betrothal to Prince Christian of Augustenberg.Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Royal correspondence: "April 27, 1865" Two days later, she sent a letter of condolences to the United States' First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln regarding the of her husband President Abraham Lincoln;Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Royal correspondence: "April 29, 1865" Mrs. Lincoln sent a reply on 21 May expressing her gratitude for the Queen's condolences.Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Royal correspondence: "May 21, 1865" On 13 June, Victoria sent a letter to her eldest son Albert regarding names for his then-unborn son George V.Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Royal correspondence: "June 13, 1865"
On 22 January 1866, Queen Victoria sent a letter to Earl Russell concerning the reopening of parliament. Denying the Earl's request, Victoria expressed her need to continue mourning.Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Royal correspondence: "January 22, 1866" On 6 February, Victoria attended the for the first time since Albert's death.Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Royal correspondence: "February 6, 1866" On 16 October, Victoria discussed with her son Albert on his visit to Saint Petersburg, Russia. The Queen stated in her letter her disdain for the country but understood and respected Albert's decision to be present for the marriage of Dagmar of Denmark.Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Royal correspondence: "October 16, 1866"
On 22 May 1867, Victoria announced her plan to award her son Albert the , her son Arthur the , Prince Victor the , and Prince Christian the honor of being .Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Royal correspondence: "May 22, 1867" On 26 June, Lord Augustus FitzRoy was invited for lunch on the Queen's behalf.Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Royal correspondence: "June 26, 1867" On 14 October, Victoria met with General discussing a possible attack by s. As a precaution, the was placed at .Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Royal correspondence: "October 14, 1867" On 16 December, Victoria denied a request from to observe and advise parliament.Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Royal correspondence: "December 16, 1867" On 19 December, after the Queen had moved to a more vulnerable on the Isle of Wight for the Christmas season, she received an alarming message from General Grey concerning rumors of an assassination plot against her.Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Royal correspondence: "December 19, 1867"
===Aiding the Assassins===
thumb|250px|Queen Victoria meeting Evie Frye
In 1868, while hosting a ball at Buckingham Palace, Victoria had the pleasure of meeting Evie Frye, who was introduced by Mary Anne Disraeli. Victoria remarked that the young Frye was behind the theft of William Gladstone's carriage, but made no effort to have her arrested since she, like the Disraelis, heartily disliked Gladstone. Instead, much to the Assassin's relief, she merely told the young woman to enjoy the ball, especially the cake which was apparently very good.Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – A Night to Remember
thumb|250px|left|Queen Victoria inducts the Frye twins and Henry Green into the Order of the Secret Garter
The next day, Victoria met with Evie, her brother Jacob and Henry Green, having been told by Sergeant Frederick Abberline of how they thwarted a plot against her life by Crawford Starrick. In recognition of their deeds, she knighted the trio into the Order of the Sacred Garter. Before departing their company, Victoria reminded Evie that she saved some cake for her.
At some point, a royal guard turned up murdered in Victoria's study, in which the Frye twins were called in. Victoria personally inspected her safe, which contained the Scepter of the Dove, which she planned on using to knight several industrialists opposing child labor later in the day. One of the Fryes then left the palace to chase down another lead and later returned to warn the Queen that a bomb was in the palace. However, the bomb turned out to be a hoax and the dead guard was in fact an impostor named Henry Raymond, who merely used spider venom to put himself in a death-like state so he could observe the Queen's combination to the safe so he could steal the Scepter. Though Raymond held young Artie hostage, the Frye twins were able to kill him, saving Artie and thwarting the caper.Assassin's Creed: Syndicate - Murder at the Palace!
Victoria later summoned the Frye twins to request their aid in thwarting a faction of Templars attempting to regain their power in London through acts of terrorism.Assassin's Creed: Syndicate - Operation: LocomotiveAssassin's Creed: Syndicate - Operation: Drive for Lives Once the plot was thwarted, including an attempt to bomb Parliament,Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Operation: Dynamite Boat Victoria offered the Fryes her gratitude and expressed her hope that they would continue to assist her in strengthening the British Empire. However, the twin Assassins politely stated that their Creed forbade them from assisting in the Empire's expansion, with Evie suggesting that the Queen put an end to her imperialist beliefs. Victoria understood and respected their position, and provided them with rewards for their deeds before bidding them farewell.Assassin's Creed: Syndicate - Operation: Westminster
===Assassination attempt===
In 1882, rumors swirled in the streets of England that Queen Victoria was targeted to be killed. Believing it to be orchestrated by the Templars, British Assassin George Westhouse enlisted fellow Assassin Pierrette Arnaud to scout and protect the queen.Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot — Chapter 27 While visiting Windsor, Queen Victoria arrived in her carriage, only to be shot at by an unknown person. The assailant is knocked out by a horse ridden by Spider Wallin while the queen is checked on by Arnaud. After the ordeal, Queen Victoria was safely protected by the Assassins.Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot — Chapter 28
===Later life and death===
In the last fourteen years of her life, Queen Victoria befriended her Indian servant .XIXth Century Search Engine – She died on 22 January 1901, with Abdul by her side. Upon her death, her eldest son and successor Albert—now Edward VII—ordered Abdul return to India and all correspondence between him and the Queen be burned.
==Personality and traits==
Queen Victoria was hemophiliac, as were her family; hence, she named the disease the "Royal Malady". She also stood at exactly 5 feet tall.XIXth Century Search Engine – 6 things you were dying to know about Queen Victoria Victoria composed herself in a regal manner. As a wife, she was affectionate and loving, and was devastated when her husband Albert passed away, so much so that she shut herself away for five years just to grieve and thereafter exclusively wore mourning clothing.
The Queen was also known to have a high libido, as stated by one of her diary entries: "I will NEVER forget such a night!!! His passion and affection (...) aroused such feelings (...) as I would never before have hoped to know!"XIXth Century Search Engine – Can A Woman Propose? She was also headstrong and opinionated, as she disliked her then-unborn grandson's potential name, protested her strong dislike for Russia, and did not think very highly of William Gladstone, either.
==Gallery==
ACS DB Illustrations 21.jpg|A portrait of Queen Victoria
ACS DB Illustrations 45.jpg|An illustration of Queen Victoria with her daughter and German Emperor Frederick III
ACS Queen Victoria Promotional Render.jpg|Promotional Art of Queen Victoria
==Appearances==
*Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag 
*Assassin's Creed: Syndicate 
*Assassin's Creed: Underworld
*Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Magus Conspiracy 
*Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot
*Assassin's Creed: Fragments – The Blade of Aizu 
*Echoes of History 
==References==
Category:1819 births
Category:1901 deaths
Category:Individuals
Category:English people
Category:Londoners
Category:Monarchs of the United Kingdom
Category:Monarchs of England
Category:House of Hanover
Category:Assassin allies