Internet History Sourcebooks Project Field Marshal Lord Roberts: When Queen Victoria Became Empress of India, 1877 [Tappan Introduction] THE PRINCE OF WALES, afterwards King Edward VII, paid a visit to India as a mark of honor to the native princes who had aided the English in their efforts to govern the land. This visit was followed by Queen Victoria's assumption of the title of Empress of India.

IN the autumn of 1876 preparations were commenced for the "Imperial Assemblage," which it was announced by the Viceroy would be held at Delhi on the first day of January, 1877, for the purpose of proclaiming to the Queen's subjects throughout India the assumption by Her Majesty of the title of "Empress of India." To this assemblage Lord Lytton further announced that he proposed "to invite the governors, lieutenant-governors, and heads of administration from all parts of the Queen's Indian dominions, as well as the princes, chiefs, and nobles in whose persons the antiquity of the past is associated with the prosperity of the present, and who so worthily contribute to the splendor and stability of this great empire." Delhi was selected as the place where the meeting between the Queen's representative and the great nobles of India could most appropriately be held, and a committee was appointed to make the necessary arrangements. As a member of the committee I was deputed to proceed to Delhi, settle about the sites for the camps, and carry out all details in communication with the local authorities.

The Viceroy impressed upon me that the assemblage was intended to emphasize the Proclamation Lord Canning issued eighteen years before, by which the Queen assumed the direct sovereignty of her Eastern possessions, and that he wished no trouble or expense to be spared in making the ceremony altogether worthy of such a great historical event. I returned to Simla in October, when my wife and I accompanied the commander-in-chief on a very delightful march over the Jalauri Pass through the Kulu Valley to Chamba and Dalhousie. Our party consisted of the chief, his doctor (Bradshaw), Persian interpreter (Moore), General and Mrs. Lumsden, and ourselves. The first slight shower of snow had just fallen on the Jalauri Pass, and as we crossed over we disturbed a number of beautiful snow-pheasants and minals busily engaged in scratching it away to get at their food. The scenery on this march is very fine and varied; for the most part the timber and foliage are superb, and the valleys are very fertile and pretty, lying close under the snow-capped mountains.

Having inspected the "Hill stations," we proceeded to Peshawar, where the Viceroy had arranged to hold a conference with the lieutenant-governor of the Punjab and the commissioner of Peshawar about frontier affairs. Early in December I was back again at Delhi, where I found the arrangements for the several camps progressing most satisfactorily, and canvas cities rising up in every direction. I had previously chosen the site of the old cantonment for the camps of the Viceroy, the commander-in-chief, and the principal officials, while for the assemblage itself I had selected ground about three miles off. The chiefs and princes were all settled in their several camps ready to meet the Viceroy, who, on his arrival, in a few graceful words welcomed them to Delhi, and thanked them for responding to his invitation. He then mounted with Lady Lytton, on a state elephant, and a procession was formed, which, I fancy, was about the most gorgeous and picturesque which has ever been seen, even in the East.

The magnificence of the native princes' retinues can hardly be described; their elephant-housings were of cloth of gold, or scarlet-and-blue cloths embroidered in gold and silver. The howdahs were veritable thrones of the precious metals, shaded by the most brilliant canopies, and the war-elephants belonging to some of the Central India and Rajputana chiefs formed a very curious and interesting feature. Their tusks were tipped with steel; they wore shields on their foreheads, and breastplates of flashing steel; chain-mail armor hung down over their trunks and covered their backs and sides; and they were mounted by warriors clad in chainmail, and armed to the teeth. Delhi must have witnessed many splendid pageants, when the Rajput, the Moghul, and the Mahratta dynasties, each in its turn, was at the height of its glory; but never before had princes and chiefs of every race and creed come from all parts of Hindustan, vying with each other as to the magificence of their entourage, and met together with the same object, that of acknowledging and doing homage to one supreme ruler.

The next few days were spent by Lord Lytton in receiving the sixty-three ruling princes of India according to the strictest etiquette. Each prince, with his suite, was met at the entrance to the camp, and conducted up the street to the durbar tent by mounted officers, the salute to which he was entitled being fired while the procession moved on. He was then presented by the Foreign Secretary to the Viceroy, who placed him on a chair on his right, immediately below a full-length portrait of Her Majesty. A satin banner, richly embroidered with the chief's armorial bearings surmounted by the imperial crown, was next brought in by Highland soldiers and planted in front of the throne, when the Viceroy, leading the particular chief towards it, thus addressed him: "I present Your Highness with this banner as a personal gift from Her Majesty the Queen, in commemoration of her assumption of the title of Empress of India.

Her Majesty trusts that it may never be unfurled without reminding you not only of the close union between the throne of England and your loyal and princely house, but also of the earnest desire of the paramount power to see your dynasty strong, prosperous, and permanent." His Excellency then placed round the chief's neck a crimson ribbon, to which was attached a very handsome gold medal with the Queen's head engraved on it, adding: "I further decorate you, by command of Her Majesty. May this medal be long worn by yourself and long kept as an heirloom in your family in remembrance of the auspicious date it bears." The first of January, 1877, saw the Queen proclaimed Empress of India. The ceremony was most imposing, and in every way successful. Three tented pavilions had been constructed on an open plain. The throne-pavilion in the center was a very graceful erection, brilliant in hangings and banners of red, blue, and white satin magnificently embroidered in gold with appropriate emblems. It was hexagonal in shape, and rather more than two hundred feet in circumference.

In front of this was the pavilion for the ruling chiefs and high European officials, in the form of a semicircle eight hundred feet long. The canopy was of Star of India blue-and-white satin embroidered in gold, each pillar being surmounted by an imperial crown. Behind the throne was the stand for the spectators, also in the form of a semicircle divided in the middle, and likewise canopied in brilliant colors. Between these twoblocks was the entrance to the area. Each chief and high official sat beneath his own banner, which was planted immediately behind his chair, and they were all mixed up as much as possible to avoid questions of precedence, the result being the most wonderful mass of color, produced from the intermingling of British uniforms and plumes with gorgeous Eastern costumes, set off by a blaze of diamonds and other precious stones. All the British troops brought to Delhi for the occasion were paraded to the north, and the troops and retainers belonging to the native chiefs to the south, of the pavilion. Guards of honor were drawn up on either side of the throne, and at each opening by which the ruling chiefs were to enter the pavilion.

The guests being all seated, a flourish of trumpets by the heralds exactly at noon announced the arrival of the Viceroy. The military bands played a march, and Lord Lytton, accompanied by Lady Lytton, their daughters, and his staff, proceeded to the pavilion. His Excellency took his seat upon the throne, arrayed in his robes as Grand Master of the Star of India, the National Anthem was played, the guards of honor presented arms while the whole of the vast assemblage rose as one man. The chief herald was then commanded to read the proclamation. A flourish of trumpets was again sounded, and Her Majesty was proclaimed Empress of India. When the chief herald had ceased reading, the royal standard was hoisted, and a salute of one hundred and one salvos of artillery was fired, with a feu-de-joie from the long line of troops. This was too much for the elephants. As the feu-de-joie approached nearer and nearer to them, they became more and more alarmed, and at last scampered off, dispersing the crowd in every direction.

When it ceased, they were quieted and brought back by their mahouts, only to start off again when the firing recommenced; but, as it was a perfectly bare plain, without anything for the great creatures to come in contact with, there was no hatm done beyond a severe shaking to their riders. As the sound of the last salvo died away, the Viceroy addressed the assemblage. When he had ceased speaking, the assembly again rose en masse and joined the troops in giving several ringing cheers. His Highness the Maharaja Sindhia then spoke as follows: "Shah in Shah Padishah. May God bless you.

The princes of India bless you, and pray that your sovereignty and power may remain steadfast forever " Sir Salar Jung rose in behalf of the boy Nizam and said: "I am desired by His Highness the Nizam to request Your Excellency to convey to Her Majesty, on the part of himself and the chiefs of India, the expression of their hearty congratulations on the assumption of the title of Empress of India, and to assure the Queen that they pray for her, and for the enduring prosperity of her Empire, both in India and England." The Maharajas of Udaipur and Jaipur, in the name of the United Chiefs of Rajputana, begged that a telegram might be sent to the Queen, conveying their dutiful and loyal congratulations; and the Maharaja of Kashmir expressed his gratification at the tenor of the Viceroy's speech, and declared that he should henceforth consider himself secure under the shadow of Her Majesty's protecting care. It is difficult to overrate the political importance of this great gathering.

It was looked upon by most of the ruling chiefs as the result of the Prince of Wales's visit, and rejoiced in as an evidence of Her Majesty's increased interest in, and appreciation of, the vast Empire of India with its many different races and peoples. Source: From: Eva March Tappan, ed., The World's Story: A History of the World in Story, Song and Art, (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1914), Vol. II: India, Persia, Mesopotamia, and Palestine, pp. 184-190. Scanned by Jerome S. Arkenberg, Cal. State Fullerton. The text has been modernized by Prof. Arkenberg. This text is part of the Internet Indian History Sourcebook . The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted texts for introductory level classes in modern European and World history. Unless otherwise indicated the specific electronic form of the document is copyright. Permission is granted for electronic copying, distribution in print form for educational purposes and personal use. If you do reduplicate the document, indicate the source. No permission is granted for commercial use of the Sourcebook.

© Paul Halsall November1998 Queen Victoria Becomes Empress of India | Making Britain Queen Victoria Becomes Empress of India Date: 01 Jan 1877 About: In 1877, Benjamin Disraeli, Conservative Prime Minister, had Queen Victoria proclaimed as Empress of India. India was already under crown control after 1858, but this title was a gesture to link the monarchy with the empire further and bind India more closely to Britain. The Royal Titles Bill was brought before Parliament in 1876. It faced opposition from Liberals who feared that the title was synonymous with absolutism. Queen Victoria opened Parliament in person, the first time since the death of Prince Albert, to announce the change in royal title. Celebrations were held in Delhi, in what is known as the Delhi Durbar, on 1 January 1877, led by the Viceroy, Lord Lytton.

People involved: Secondary works: Cannadine, David, Ornamentalism: How the British saw their Empire (London: Penguin, 2001) Cohn, Bernard S., 'Representing Authority in Victorian India', in Eric Hobsbawm and Terence Ranger (eds) The Invention of Tradition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992) Metcalf, Thomas R., Ideologies of the Raj (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998) Strachey, Lytton, Queen Victoria (London: Chatto & Windus, 1921) Archive source: The 1st of January 1877 AD, Victoria Proclaimed Empress of India Victoria Proclaimed Empress of India The 1st of January 1877 AD Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India at the first Delhi Durbar, on January 1 1877, though legally she had held the title since Parliament passed the necessary legislation ï¿½ The Royal Titles Act - in May 1876. There was a personal and a political aspect to the change.

In personal terms, Disraeli did himself no harm by flattering the Queen with the additional title, on which it is said she was keen; his perennial rival Gladstone had earlier been reticent to do the same. Politically, the move symbolised the change of circumstances in Indian rule: the East India Company, discredited by the events of the Indian Mutiny, had been replaced by the crown; governor general by viceroy. Queen Victoria herself did not attend the Durbar; the viceroy Earl Lytton was there in her stead. Later Durbars were mass events; this, the first, was for the elite: Maharajas, European grandees, Nawabs and Princes. But the opportunity for a show of Imperial might was not lost: there were 101 artillery salvoes; marching bands; guards of honour; and much pomp and ceremony to mark the historic significance of the proclamation.

2 January 1877: Queen Victoria proclaimed Empress of India | From the Guardian | The Guardian 2 January 1877: Queen Victoria proclaimed Empress of India Indian nobility, foreign ambassadors and fifteen thousand troops in Imperial assemblage Indian representatives in London for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, twenty years after she was made Empress of India. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) BBC - iWonder - Queen Victoria: The woman who redefined Britain’s monarchy Queen Victoria: The woman who redefined Britain’s monarchy 24 May, 1819 Presented byProfessor Kate WilliamsRoyal historian A headstrong head of state Queen Victoria restored the reputation of a monarchy tarnished by the extravagance of her royal uncles. She also shaped a new role for the Royal Family, reconnecting it with the public through civic duties. At just 4ft 11in tall, Victoria was a towering presence as a symbol of her Empire. She and her husband Albert and their nine children came to symbolise a new, confident age. 24 May, 1819 Bridgeman A portrait of Princess Victoria and her mother Victoria, Duchess of Kent in 1824.

Alexandrina Victoria was born to the Duchess of Kent. Her father was the fourth son of George III and she was fifth in line to the throne. However, she had three elderly uncles ahead of her in the succession. So when her father died when she was eight months her prospects of becoming queen were good. The princess, known as Victoria, was raised at Kensington Palace. She was educated by her governess Baroness Lehzen, who taught her languages, arithmetic, drawing and music. Her widowed mother was lonely and depended utterly on John Conroy – a servant of her former husband who was bent on power. As plump as a partridge Baby Victoria described by Baron Stockmar, doctor to her German uncle Prince Leopold 1820-1837 Mary Evans An engraved portrait showing Victoria in 1834. She had a sheltered childhood. After the death of two uncles, the teenage Victoria became heir to her final surviving uncle King William IV. But Victoria's youth was dominated by strict rules known as the 'Kensington System'. These rules included sharing a room with her mother and having no time alone.

The system was designed by John Conroy, who hoped to manipulate her to gain further power and influence. When Victoria was 13 she was taken on a tour of the Midlands so that Conroy and her mother could show her off to the public. The princess found it exhausting and became increasingly stubborn. She started writing a diary. The men, women, children, country and houses are all black... I just now see an extraordinary building flaming with fire. Victoria's first journal entry, a train near Birmingham, 2 August 1832 20 June 1837 Victoria becomes Queen Victoria is welcomed into the City of London for the first time as Queen. Victoria succeeded her uncle William IV, just weeks after her 18th birthday. Her first request was an hour alone, something denied to her until then. Victoria moved to Buckingham Palace making it her official royal residence in London. She began exerting her will by exiling her mother to live in distant rooms. She also banned John Conroy the courtier who made her childhood miserable – from her state apartments. The young Queen was charmed by her first prime minister, Lord Melbourne, who was both fatherly and admiring.

She became the richest woman in the world after Parliament granted her an annuity of £385,000. Lord Conyngham then acquainted me that my poor Uncle, the King, was no more… and consequently that I am Queen. Journal entry, 20 June 1837 28 June 1838 He was so kind, so affectionate; oh! to feel I was, and am, loved by such an Angel as Albert, was too great delight to describe! Journal entry, 15 October 1839 10 June 1840 Victoria survives an assassination attempt A lithograph depicting the first assassination attempt on Victoria. The Queen – who often rode in an open carriage – was the target of eight attempts to kill or assault her during her lifetime. In the first attempt a teenager called Edward Oxford fired at her as she was out driving with Albert near Buckingham Palace. The gunman was seized by onlookers. The Queen was shaken but managed to smile at crowds on her return trip through Hyde Park. Oxford was later found to be of ‘unsound mind’ and sent to Bedlam (the state criminal lunatic asylum).

He was released in 1867 and deported to Australia. All of the Queen’s assailants worked alone and were judged to have mental health conditions. I saw him aim at me with another pistol. I ducked my head, & another shot, equally loud instantly followed. Journal entry, 10 June 1840 21 November, 1840 We scrambled up to the highest peak, & here we sat down & had our luncheon. The view is truly magnificent, such endless ranges of hills. Journal entry, 24 August 1849 3 February, 1852 A new parliamentary tradition The Irish State Coach has been used for the State Opening of Parliament since 1852. The Queen began new royal traditions when she attended the first State Opening of Parliament in the new Palace of Westminster. The original building had been demolished by fire in 1834. The Queen arrived in the Irish State Coach, which had been built the year before and processed through Parliament before making her speech. The protocols and traditions established then have been followed by every British monarch since. We drove in under the new covered entrance, which is magnificent & had a beautiful effect...

Got through the reading of my speech well. Journal entry, 3 February 1842 7 September 1858 Victoria and Albert redefine what it means to be Queen Getty The royal procession on its way to open the new town hall in Leeds. The Illustrated London News. Victoria, with the assistance of Albert, created a newly visible constitutional monarchy to stem a growing republican movement in Britain. Victoria became patron of 150 institutions, including dozens of charities, while Albert supported the development of educational museums. The couple went on civic visits to industrial towns such as Leeds, and attended military reviews to support the armed forces. Together they helped stem criticism that the Royal Family didn't earn its keep. Nothing could have been more enthusiastic than the reception we met with, or better than the way the people behaved. Journal entry, Leeds, 7 September 1858 29 January, 1856 The Victoria Cross The Illustrated London News reveals the first recipients of the VC. The Victoria Cross was introduced by Queen Victoria to honour acts of great bravery during the Crimean War. It was awarded on merit instead of rank. The Crimean War was fought by an alliance of countries including Britain against Russia.

The Queen was suspected of secretly supporting the Russian Tsar. However, she allayed suspicions by taking an interest in the nursing of wounded soldiers. She also awarded the first Victoria Crosses personally to 62 men at a ceremony at Hyde Park in 1857. It was the first time officers and men had been decorated together. After riding down the Line the ceremony of giving medals, began... with blue ribbons for the Navy, & red, for the Army. Journal entry, 26 June 1857 1860 Royal photographs sold to the public You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. How Victoria and Albert became celebrities. The World's Most Photographed: Queen Victoria (BBC Two, 2014). A set of 14 photos, known as Carte de Visites, was created of the Royal Family. More than 60,000 copies were sold, despite having a hefty price tag of four pounds and four shillings. It marked the beginning of photographic celebrity culture. Women tried to replicate Victoria's fashions while some men copied Albert's hairstyle and moustache. The death of Albert You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip.

Exploring the close relationship of Queen Victoria and John Brown. The World's Most Photographed: Queen Victoria, BBC Two, 2014 Prince Albert died at the age of 42. The Queen was inconsolable with grief and wore mourning for the rest of her life. Victoria withdrew from public life after Albert's death, but kept up with her correspondence and continued to give audiences to ministers and official visitors. She decreed that monuments to honour Albert should be built across the country and Empire – including the Albert Memorial. She became very close to John Brown, a servant at Balmoral Castle, even though her children resented him. Victoria was called ‘Mrs Brown’ in the press but despite this she refused to give up her friendship. Have been unable to write my Journal since the day my beloved one left us, & with what a heavy broken heart I enter on a new year without him! Journal entry, 1 January 1862 February 1871 Victoria returns to the public eye Royal Collection Trust/© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2015 The Queen rides with her son to a thanksgiving service after he recovers from typhoid.

The Queen was frantic with worry after her son and heir Edward fell ill with typhoid. It came a year after the founding of the French Third Republic, which had provoked anti-monarchist feeling in Britain. When Edward recovered, the Queen used a carefully orchestrated event to boost royal support. She gave a public thanksgiving service and appeared to crowds on the Buckingham Palace balcony. It marked the queen's gradual return to public life. I went upstairs & stepped out on the Balcony with Beatrice & my 3 sons, being loudly cheered. Journal entry, 27 February 1871 2 January, 1877 The Queen who became an Empress Punch Magazine, Getty My thoughts much to taken up with the great event at Delhi today, & in India generally, where I am being proclaimed Empress of India. Journal entry, 1 January 1877 June 1887 A new favourite from India You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Victoria and her 'munshi'. Queen Victoria's Letters: A Monarch Unveiled (BBC Four, 2014). The Queen received Indian servants to mark her Golden Jubilee year.

She promoted one, Abdul Karim, to become her personal teacher or ‘Munshi’. Karim instructed Victoria in Urdu and Indian affairs and introduced her to curry. He was just 24 but Victoria was fascinated by India, the country she ruled but would never visit. Politicians and members of the royal household resented his position but despite this, Victoria gave him honours and lands in India and took him with her on visits to the French Riviera. To-day is the day on which I have reigned longer, by a day, than any English Sovereign & the people wished to make all sorts of demonstrations. Journal entry, 23 September 1896 20 June, 1887 The Golden Jubilee defines 'brand Victoria' The Queen as she appeared in 1837 and 1887, from a colour supplement. Victoria's Jubilee bolstered her reputation. Her face was emblazoned on products from mugs to jars of mustard to mark the occasion. The Jubilee celebrations focussed on the Queen but also affirmed Britain's place as a global power. Soldiers from the British Empire marched in processions through London.

Victoria held a feast, attended by 50 foreign kings and princes, along with the governing heads of Britain's overseas colonies and dominions. 50 years today since I came to the throne. God has mercifully sustained me through many great trials & sorrows. Journal entry, 20 June 1887 22 June 1897 The Diamond Jubilee celebrates Empire You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. The first moving footage of Queen Victoria in 1896. The World's Most Photographed: Queen Victoria (BBC Two, 2014) (silent footage). A day of global celebrations was planned for Victoria. The elderly Queen presided over a number of events though her mobility was limited. Victoria embraced technology by sending a telegram thanking her subjects across the empire. She attended a procession to St Paul's Cathedral. Street parties were held across Britain, while Sydney Harbour in Australia was lit up with illuminations. In India, 19,000 prisoners were granted a pardon.

I started a message which was telegraphed throughout the whole Empire… ‘From my heart I thank my beloved people, May God bless them!’ Journal entry, 22 June 1897 22 January 1901 The end of the Victorian age Getty Victoria's funeral procession leaves Windsor Castle. Victoria died after weeks of ill health. Her son and heir Edward VII and her grandson Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany were at her deathbed. The Queen ruled over an Empire that covered a quarter of the globe with 400 million subjects, but she never forgot the men who supported her. She requested that Albert's dressing gown and a plaster cast of his hand be placed in her coffin. She also asked for a lock of John Brown's hair and his picture to be put in her hand. Lastly she left orders that Abdul Karim be among the principal mourners at her funeral. She was an indomitable monarch who, even at the end, was adept at getting her own way.

Literary Encyclopedia | Queen Victoria proclaimed Empress of India Queen Victoria proclaimed Empress of India (111 words) India (Involved) Context It was felt that the Indian Mutiny in 1857 had revealed weaknesses in the political relations by which the sub-continent was controlled, so the sovereignty of India was transferred to the crown and the governor-general was replaced with a viceroy. The assumption of the title “Emperor of Germany” by Kaiser Wilhelm I in led Queen Victoria to ask Gladstone why she had no such title. Gladstone objected that the title was without precedent in British history. When Disraeli became Prime Minister in 1874 he was ready to oblige and early in 1876 the Royal Titles Act (39 & 40 Vic. c. 10) conferred on Victoria the title of Empress of India. The title came into force on January 1 1877. Please log in to consult the article in its entirety.

If you are a member (student of staff) of a subscribing institution ( see List ), you should be able to access the LE on campus directly (without the need to log in), and off-campus either via the institutional log in we offer, or via your institution's remote access facilities, or by creating a personal user account with your institutional email address. If you are not a member of a subscribing institution, you will need to purchase a personal subscription. For more information on how to subscribe as an individual user, please see under Individual Subcriptions . Citation: BBC - Radio 4 - This Sceptred Isle - Empress of India This Sceptred Isle Queen Victoria as Empress of India Empress of India In 1877 Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India. The new viceroy the Earl of Lytton wrote to Victoria describing the scene on the Plain of Delhi where her title was proclaimed to "a vast concourse of native Princes and nobles from all parts of India". Disraeli was now in his seventies and was unwell.

EDWARD ROBERT BULWAR LYTTON (1831-1891) First Earl of Lytton Born in London, educated at Harrow and Bonn His Uncle was Henry Bulwer for whom he worked as a private secretary in 1849 A widely traveled diplomat, he served in Florence, Paris, the Hague, St Petersburg, Constantinople, Lisbon, Madrid, Vienna and Paris Between 1876 and 1880 was Viceroy of India In 1887 was sent as ambassador to Paris and died there Victoria's Crown, the Star of India is displayed with the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London. VICTORIA'S DIARY ENTRY ON THE PURCHASE OF THE SUEZ CANAL SHARES Windsor Castle, the twenty fourth of November, eighteen hundred and seventy five. Received a box from Mr. Disraeli, with the very important news that the Government has purchased the Viceroy of Egypt's shares in the Suez Canal for four millions, which gives us complete security for India, and altogether places us in a very safe position! An immense thing. It is entirely Mr. Disraeli's doing.

Only three or four days ago I heard of the offer and at once supported and encouraged him, when at that moment it seemed doubtful, and then today all has been satisfactorily settled. Select historical period Pearson Prentice Hall: Primary Sources When Queen Victoria Became Empress of India (1877) Field Marshal Lord Roberts Field Marshal Lord Roberts, a British official stationed in India, witnessed the pomp and ceremony surrounding Queen Victoria's assumption of the title "Empress of India." His account was published in The World's Story: A History of the World in Story, Song, and Art, originally published in 1914.

IN the autumn of 1876 preparations were commenced for the "Imperial Assemblage," which it was announced by the Viceroy would be held at Delhi on the first day of January, 1877, for the purpose of proclaiming to the Queen's subjects throughout India the assumption by Her Majesty of the title of "Empress of India." To this assemblage Lord Lytton further announced that he proposed "to invite the governors, lieutenant-governors, and heads of administration from all parts of the Queen's Indian dominions, as well as the princes, chiefs, and nobles in whose persons the antiquity of the past is associated with the prosperity of the present, and who so worthily contribute to the splendor and stability of this great empire." Delhi was selected as the place where the meeting between the Queen's representative and the great nobles of India could most appropriately be held, and a committee was appointed to make the necessary arrangements. As a member of the committee I was deputed to proceed to Delhi, settle about the sites for the camps, and carry out all details in communication with the local authorities.

The Viceroy impressed upon me that the assemblage was intended to emphasize the Proclamation Lord Canning issued eighteen years before, by which the Queen assumed the direct sovereignty of her Eastern possessions, and that he wished no trouble or expense to be spared in making the ceremony altogether worthy of such a great historical event. I returned to Simla in October, when my wife and I accompanied the commander-in-chief on a very delightful march over the Jalauri Pass through the Kulu Valley to Chamba and Dalhousie. Our party consisted of the chief, his doctor (Bradshaw), Persian interpreter (Moore), General and Mrs. Lumsden, and ourselves. The first slight shower of snow had just fallen on the Jalauri Pass, and as we crossed over we disturbed a number of beautiful snow-pheasants and minals busily engaged in scratching it away to get at their food. The scenery on this march is very fine and varied; for the most part the timber and foliage are superb, and the valleys are very fertile and pretty, lying close under the snow-capped mountains.

Having inspected the "Hill stations," we proceeded to Peshawar, where the Viceroy had arranged to hold a conference with the lieutenant-governor of the Punjab and the commissioner of Peshawar about frontier affairs. Early in December I was back again at Delhi, where I found the arrangements for the several camps progressing most satisfactorily, and canvas cities rising up in every direction. I had previously chosen the site of the old cantonment for the camps of the Viceroy, the commander-in-chief, and the principal officials, while for the assemblage itself I had selected ground about three miles off. The chiefs and princes were all settled in their several camps ready to meet the Viceroy, who, on his arrival, in a few graceful words welcomed them to Delhi, and thanked them for responding to his invitation. He then mounted with Lady Lytton, on a state elephant, and a procession was formed, which, I fancy, was about the most gorgeous and picturesque which has ever been seen, even in the East.

The magnificence of the native princes' retinues can hardly be described; their elephant-housings were of cloth of gold, or scarlet-and-blue cloths embroidered in gold and silver. The howdahs were veritable thrones of the precious metals, shaded by the most brilliant canopies, and the war-elephants belonging to some of the Central India and Rajputana chiefs formed a very curious and interesting feature. Their tusks were tipped with steel; they wore shields on their foreheads, and breastplates of flashing steel; chain-mail armor hung down over their trunks and covered their backs and sides; and they were mounted by warriors clad in chainmail, and armed to the teeth. Delhi must have witnessed many splendid pageants, when the Rajput, the Moghul, and the Mahratta dynasties, each in its turn, was at the height of its glory; but never before had princes and chiefs of every race and creed come from all parts of Hindustan, vying with each other as to the magificence of their entourage, and met together with the same object, that of acknowledging and doing homage to one supreme ruler.

The next few days were spent by Lord Lytton in receiving the sixty-three ruling princes of India according to the strictest etiquette. Each prince, with his suite, was met at the entrance to the camp, and conducted up the street to the durbar tent by mounted officers, the salute to which he was entitled being fired while the procession moved on. He was then presented by the Foreign Secretary to the Viceroy, who placed him on a chair on his right, immediately below a full-length portrait of Her Majesty. A satin banner, richly embroidered with the chief's armorial bearings surmounted by the imperial crown, was next brought in by Highland soldiers and planted in front of the throne, when the Viceroy, leading the particular chief towards it, thus addressed him: "I present Your Highness with this banner as a personal gift from Her Majesty the Queen, in commemoration of her assumption of the title of Empress of India.

Her Majesty trusts that it may never be unfurled without reminding you not only of the close union between the throne of England and your loyal and princely house, but also of the earnest desire of the paramount power to see your dynasty strong, prosperous, and permanent." His Excellency then placed round the chief's neck a crimson ribbon, to which was attached a very handsome gold medal with the Queen's head engraved on it, adding: "I further decorate you, by command of Her Majesty. May this medal be long worn by yourself and long kept as an heirloom in your family in remembrance of the auspicious date it bears." The first of January, 1877, saw the Queen proclaimed Empress of India. The ceremony was most imposing, and in every way successful. Three tented pavilions had been constructed on an open plain. The throne-pavilion in the center was a very graceful erection, brilliant in hangings and banners of red, blue, and white satin magnificently embroidered in gold with appropriate emblems. It was hexagonal in shape, and rather more than two hundred feet in circumference.

In front of this was the pavilion for the ruling chiefs and high European officials, in the form of a semicircle eight hundred feet long. The canopy was of Star of India blue-and-white satin embroidered in gold, each pillar being surmounted by an imperial crown. Behind the throne was the stand for the spectators, also in the form of a semicircle divided in the middle, and likewise canopied in brilliant colors. Between these two blocks was the entrance to the area. Each chief and high official sat beneath his own banner, which was planted immediately behind his chair, and they were all mixed up as much as possible to avoid questions of precedence, the result being the most wonderful mass of color, produced from the intermingling of British uniforms and plumes with gorgeous Eastern costumes, set off by a blaze of diamonds and other precious stones. All the British troops brought to Delhi for the occasion were paraded to the north, and the troops and retainers belonging to the native chiefs to the south, of the pavilion. Guards of honor were drawn up on either side of the throne, and at each opening by which the ruling chiefs were to enter the pavilion.

The guests being all seated, a flourish of trumpets by the heralds exactly at noon announced the arrival of the Viceroy. The military bands played a march, and Lord Lytton, accompanied by Lady Lytton, their daughters, and his staff, proceeded to the pavilion. His Excellency took his seat upon the throne, arrayed in his robes as Grand Master of the Star of India, the National Anthem was played, the guards of honor presented arms while the whole of the vast assemblage rose as one man. The chief herald was then commanded to read the proclamation. A flourish of trumpets was again sounded, and Her Majesty was proclaimed Empress of India. …

Question: Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of which country in 1877?
Answer: India