Editing Benjamin Disraeli (section)

==Final months, death, and memorials==
Disraeli refused to cast blame for the defeat, which he understood was likely to be final for him. He wrote to Lady Bradford that it was just as much work to end a government as to form one, without any of the fun. Queen Victoria was bitter at his departure. Among the honours he arranged before resigning as Prime Minister on 21 April 1880 was one for his private secretary, [[Montagu Corry]], who became Baron Rowton.<ref>Weintraub, pp. 625–626</ref>
{{multiple image |align=right |direction=horizontal |header_align=center |caption_align=center |footer_align=left |image1=Disraelideathmask.jpg |width1=105 |caption1=Disraeli's [[death mask]] |alt1=A death mask resembling Disraeli |image2=The Primrose Tomb - geograph.org.uk - 154226.jpg |width2=134 |caption2=Disraeli's tomb at Hughenden |alt2=A grave}}

Returning to Hughenden, Disraeli brooded over his electoral dismissal, but also resumed work on ''[[Endymion (Disraeli novel)|Endymion]]'', which he had begun in 1872 and laid aside before the 1874 election. The work was rapidly completed and published by November 1880.<ref>Weintraub, pp. 627–633</ref> He carried on a correspondence with Victoria, with letters passed through intermediaries. When Parliament met in January 1881, he served as Conservative leader in the Lords, attempting to serve as a moderating influence on Gladstone's legislation.<ref>Blake (1967), p. 728; and Weintraub, p. 649</ref>

Because of his asthma and gout, Disraeli went out as little as possible, fearing more serious episodes of illness. In March, he fell ill with bronchitis, and emerged from bed only for a meeting with Salisbury and other Conservative leaders on the 26th. As it became clear that this might be his final sickness, friends and opponents alike came to call. Disraeli declined a visit from the Queen, saying, "She would only ask me to take a message to Albert."<ref>Weintraub, pp. 654–655</ref> Almost blind, when he received the last letter from Victoria of which he was aware on 5 April, he held it momentarily, then had it read to him by [[George Barrington, 7th Viscount Barrington|Lord Barrington]], a [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Privy Councillor]]. One card, signed "A Workman", delighted its recipient: "Don't die yet, we can't do without you."<ref>Weintraub, p. 655</ref>

Despite the gravity of Disraeli's condition, the doctors concocted optimistic bulletins for public consumption. Prime Minister Gladstone called several times to enquire about his rival's condition, and wrote in his diary, "May the Almighty be near his pillow."<ref>Weintraub, pp. 656–657</ref> There was intense public interest in Disraeli's struggles for life. Disraeli had customarily taken the [[Anglican sacraments|sacrament]] at Easter; when this day was observed on 17 April, there was discussion among his friends and family if he should be given the opportunity, but those against, fearing that he would lose hope, prevailed.<ref>Blake (1967), pp. 748–749</ref> On the morning of the following day, Easter Monday, he became incoherent, then comatose.<ref name = "w658">Weintraub, p. 658</ref> Disraeli's last confirmed words before dying at his home at 19 [[Curzon Street]] in the early morning of 19 April were "I had rather live but I am not afraid to die".<ref>Blake (1967), p. 748</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=HHsiaqauCAeh8bLVjB7B6A&scan=1|title=Index entry|access-date=29 December 2017|work=FreeBMD|publisher=ONS}}
</ref>{{#tag:ref|According to Disraeli's biographer [[Stanley Weintraub]], rumours about his last hours included that he may have summoned a Jesuit to receive him into the Catholic Church on his deathbed,<ref name = "w658" /> or that Disraeli may have grasped his friend [[Sir Philip Rose, 1st Baronet|Sir Philip Rose]]'s hand and mumbled, "There is—one God—of Israel!", which the biographer identifies as a version of the ''[[Shema]]'', the Jewish declaration of faith in a unitary god.<ref name = "w658" /> "More likely", Weintraub concludes, "Disraeli died as he had lived, a confirmed skeptic in the tradition of his father."<ref name = "w658" />|group="n"|name="rumoursarounddeath"}} The anniversary of Disraeli's death was for some years commemorated in the United Kingdom as [[Primrose Day]].

Despite having been offered a [[state funeral]] by Queen Victoria, Disraeli's executors decided against a public procession and funeral, fearing that too large crowds would gather to do him honour. The chief mourners at the service at Hughenden on 26 April were his brother Ralph and nephew Coningsby, to whom Hughenden would eventually pass; [[Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy, 1st Earl of Cranbrook|Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy, Viscount Cranbrook]], despite most of Disraeli's former cabinet being present, was notably absent in Italy.<ref>Douglas Hurd & Edward Young, "Disraeli or The Two Lives" (London 2013), p. 2</ref> Queen Victoria was prostrated with grief, and considered ennobling Ralph or Coningsby as a memorial to Disraeli (without children, his titles became extinct with his death), but decided against it on the ground that their means were too small for a peerage. Protocol forbade her attending Disraeli's funeral (this would not be changed until 1965, when [[Elizabeth II]] attended the rites for the former prime minister Sir [[Winston Churchill]]) but she sent [[Primula vulgaris|primroses]] ("his favourite flowers") to the funeral and visited the burial vault to place a wreath four days later.<ref>Weintraub, pp. 659–662; and Blake (1967), pp. 749–755</ref>
[[File:Benjamin Disraeli statue, Parliament Square SW1 - geograph.org.uk - 1324152.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Statue of Benjamin Disraeli, Parliament Square|Statue of Disraeli]] in [[Parliament Square]], London|alt=A statue on a podium]]
Disraeli is buried with his wife in a vault beneath the [[St Michael and All Angels Church, Hughenden|Church of St Michael and All Angels]] which stands in the grounds of his home, Hughenden Manor. There is also a memorial to him in the chancel in the church, erected in his honour by Queen Victoria. His [[literary executor]] was his private secretary, Lord Rowton.<ref>Blake (1967), pp. 751–756</ref> The Disraeli vault also contains the body of [[Sarah Brydges Willyams]], the wife of James Brydges Willyams of [[St Mawgan]]. Disraeli carried on a long correspondence with Mrs. Willyams, writing frankly about political affairs. At her death in 1865, she left him a large legacy, which helped clear his debts.<ref>Blake (1967), pp. 414–421, 752</ref> His will was proved in April 1882 at £84,019 18 s. 7 d. (roughly equivalent to £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|84019|1881|r=0}}}} in {{Inflation-year|UK}}).{{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}}<ref>Blake (1967), p. 754</ref><ref name="probate">{{cite web |url=https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Calendar?surname=Beaconsfield&yearOfDeath=1881&page=1#calendar |title=The Rt. Hon. DISRAELI, BENJAMIN, Earl of BEACONSFIELD and Viscount HUGHENDEN K. G. |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=1881 |website=probatesearchservice.gov |publisher=UK Government |access-date=7 August 2019 }}</ref>

Disraeli has a [[Burials and memorials in Westminster Abbey|memorial in Westminster Abbey]], erected by the nation on the motion of Gladstone in his memorial speech on Disraeli in the House of Commons. Gladstone had absented himself from the funeral, with his plea of the press of public business met with public mockery. His speech was widely anticipated, if only because his dislike for Disraeli was well known. In the event, the speech was a model of its kind, in which he avoided comment on Disraeli's politics while praising his personal qualities.<ref>Blake (1967), p. 753</ref>