Editing Queen Victoria (section)

== Empress of India ==
{{Wikisource|Proclamation by the Queen in Council, to the princes, chiefs, and people of India}}

After the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]], the [[British East India Company]], which had ruled much of India, was dissolved, and Britain's possessions and protectorates on the [[Indian subcontinent]] were formally incorporated into the [[British Empire]]. The Queen had a relatively balanced view of the conflict, and condemned atrocities on both sides.<ref>Hibbert, pp. 249–250; Woodham-Smith, pp. 384–385</ref> She wrote of "her feelings of horror and regret at the result of this bloody civil war",<ref>Woodham-Smith, p. 386</ref> and insisted, urged on by Albert, that an official proclamation announcing the transfer of power from the company to the state "should breathe feelings of generosity, benevolence and religious toleration".<ref name="hws">Hibbert, p. 251; Woodham-Smith, p. 386</ref> At her behest, a reference threatening the "undermining of native religions and customs" was replaced by a passage guaranteeing religious freedom.<ref name=hws/>
[[File:Heinrich von Angeli (1840-1925) - Queen Victoria (1819-1901) - RCIN 405021 - Royal Collection.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Victoria admired [[Heinrich von Angeli]]'s 1875 portrait of her for its "honesty, total want of flattery, and appreciation of character".<ref>St Aubyn, p. 335</ref>]]

In the [[1874 United Kingdom general election|1874 general election]], Disraeli was returned to power. He passed the [[Public Worship Regulation Act 1874]], which removed Catholic rituals from the Anglican liturgy and which Victoria strongly supported.<ref>Hibbert, p. 361; Longford, p. 402; Marshall, pp. 180–184; Waller, p. 423</ref> She preferred short, simple services, and personally considered herself more aligned with the [[presbyterian]] [[Church of Scotland]] than the [[Episcopal polity|episcopal]] [[Church of England]].<ref>Hibbert, pp. 295–296; Waller, p. 423</ref> Disraeli also pushed the [[Royal Titles Act 1876]] through Parliament, so that Victoria took the title "Empress of India" from 1&nbsp;May 1876.<ref>Hibbert, p. 361; Longford, pp. 405–406; Marshall, p. 184; St Aubyn, p. 434; Waller, p. 426</ref> The new title was proclaimed at the [[Delhi Durbar]] of 1&nbsp;January 1877.<ref>Waller, p. 427</ref>

On 14 December 1878, the anniversary of Albert's death, Victoria's second daughter Alice, who had married [[Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse|Louis of Hesse]], died of [[diphtheria]] in [[Darmstadt]]. Victoria noted the coincidence of the dates as "almost incredible and most mysterious".<ref>Victoria's diary and letters quoted in Longford, p. 425</ref> In May 1879, she became a great-grandmother (on the birth of [[Princess Feodora of Saxe-Meiningen]]) and passed her "poor old 60th birthday". She felt "aged" by "the loss of my beloved child".<ref>Victoria quoted in Longford, p. 426</ref>

Between April 1877 and February 1878, she threatened five times to abdicate while pressuring Disraeli to act against Russia during the [[Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878)|Russo-Turkish War]], but her threats had no impact on the events or their conclusion with the [[Congress of Berlin]].<ref>Longford, pp. 412–413</ref> Disraeli's expansionist foreign policy, which Victoria endorsed, led to conflicts such as the [[Anglo-Zulu War]] and the [[Second Anglo-Afghan War]]. "If ''we'' are to ''maintain'' our position as a ''first-rate'' Power", she wrote, "we must&nbsp;... be ''Prepared'' for ''attacks'' and ''wars'', ''somewhere'' or ''other'', CONTINUALLY."<ref>Longford, p. 426</ref> Victoria saw the expansion of the British Empire as civilising and benign, protecting native peoples from more aggressive powers or cruel rulers: "It is not in our custom to annexe countries", she said, "unless we are obliged & forced to do so."<ref>Longford, p. 411</ref> To Victoria's dismay, Disraeli lost the [[1880 United Kingdom general election|1880 general election]], and Gladstone returned as prime minister.<ref>Hibbert, pp. 367–368; Longford, p. 429; Marshall, p. 186; St Aubyn, pp. 442–444; Waller, pp. 428–429</ref> When Disraeli died the following year, she was blinded by "fast falling tears",<ref>Letter from Victoria to [[Montagu Corry, 1st Baron Rowton]], quoted in Hibbert, p. 369</ref> and erected a memorial tablet "placed by his grateful Sovereign and Friend, Victoria R.I."<ref>Longford, p. 437</ref>

[[File:Victoria farthing.jpg|thumb|upright|Victorian [[Farthing (British coin)|farthing]], 1884]]

On 2 March 1882, [[Roderick Maclean]], a disgruntled poet apparently offended by Victoria's refusal to accept one of his poems,<ref>Hibbert, p. 420; St Aubyn, p. 422</ref> shot at the Queen as her carriage left [[Windsor & Eton Central railway station|Windsor railway station]]. [[Gordon Chesney Wilson]] and another schoolboy from [[Eton College]] struck him with their umbrellas, until he was hustled away by a policeman.<ref>Hibbert, p. 420; St Aubyn, p. 421</ref> Victoria was outraged when he was found not guilty by reason of insanity,<ref>Hibbert, pp. 420–421; St Aubyn, p. 422; Strachey, p. 278</ref> but was so pleased by the many expressions of loyalty after the attack that she said it was "worth being shot at—to see how much one is loved".<ref>Hibbert, p. 427; Longford, p. 446; St Aubyn, p. 421</ref>

On 17 March 1883, Victoria fell down some stairs at Windsor, which left her lame until July; she never fully recovered and was plagued with rheumatism thereafter.<ref>Longford, pp. 451–452</ref> John Brown died 10 days after her accident, and to the consternation of her private secretary, Sir [[Henry Ponsonby]], Victoria began work on a eulogistic biography of Brown.<ref>Longford, p. 454; St Aubyn, p. 425; Hibbert, p. 443</ref> Ponsonby and [[Randall Davidson]], [[Dean of Windsor]], who had both seen early drafts, advised Victoria against publication, on the grounds that it would stoke the rumours of a love affair.<ref>Hibbert, pp. 443–444; St Aubyn, pp. 425–426</ref> The manuscript was destroyed.<ref>Hibbert, pp. 443–444; Longford, p. 455</ref> In early 1884, Victoria did publish ''More Leaves from a Journal of a Life in the Highlands'', a sequel to her earlier book, which she dedicated to her "devoted personal attendant and faithful friend John Brown".<ref>Hibbert, p. 444; St Aubyn, p. 424; Waller, p. 413</ref> On the day after the first anniversary of Brown's death, Victoria was informed by telegram that her youngest son, Leopold, had died in [[Cannes]]. He was "the dearest of my dear sons", she lamented.<ref>Longford, p. 461</ref> The following month, Victoria's youngest child, Beatrice, met and fell in love with [[Prince Henry of Battenberg]] at the wedding of Victoria's granddaughter [[Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine]] to Henry's brother [[Prince Louis of Battenberg]]. Beatrice and Henry planned to marry, but Victoria opposed the match at first, wishing to keep Beatrice at home to act as her companion. After a year, she was won around to the marriage by their promise to remain living with and attending her.<ref>Longford, pp. 477–478</ref>
[[File:British Empire in 1898.png|thumb|upright=1.3|Extent of the [[British Empire]] in 1898]]

Victoria was pleased when Gladstone resigned in 1885 after his budget was defeated.<ref>Hibbert, p. 373; St Aubyn, p. 458</ref> She thought his government was "the worst I have ever had", and blamed him for the death of [[Charles George Gordon|General Gordon]] during the [[Siege of Khartoum]].<ref>Waller, p. 433; see also Hibbert, pp. 370–371 and Marshall, pp. 191–193</ref> Gladstone was replaced by [[Lord Salisbury]]. Salisbury's government only lasted a few months, however, and Victoria was forced to recall Gladstone, whom she referred to as a "half crazy & really in many ways ridiculous old man".<ref>Hibbert, p. 373; Longford, p. 484</ref> Gladstone attempted to pass [[Government of Ireland Bill 1886|a bill granting Ireland home rule]], but to Victoria's glee it was defeated.<ref>Hibbert, p. 374; Longford, p. 491; Marshall, p. 196; St Aubyn, pp. 460–461</ref> In [[1886 United Kingdom general election|the ensuing election]], Gladstone's party lost to Salisbury's and the government switched hands again.<ref>St Aubyn, pp. 460–461</ref>