 |
| John Brown Soon, a wave of unpopularity began to arise in London against the Queen because of her permanent abscence. This unpopularity ncreased with the apparition of a certain man by the Queen's side. This man was a Scottish servant named John Brown, who had been one of Albert's favourite gillies in Balmoral. In 1864, John Brown was brought from Balmoral to Osborne by the Queen's secretary Sir Frederick Ponsoby in ordear to attend and lead the Queen's pony, since her physician, Dr. Jenner had recommended her to take some excercise. Victoria was pleased to have Brown in her attendance. In February 1865, she decided that Brown would stay permanently with her because she considered him indispensable. He was all at a time: groom, footman, maid, and bodyguard. His only interest was her security and her comfort. Every morning, after breakfast, Brown came into the Queen's room to receive orders; he generally took her for a ride on her pony. Victoria enjoyed his brusque manners. With his typical Highland accent he said once to her, when he picked his chin as he was trying to fastened her cape for a ride:: "Hoots, then, wumman, can ye no hold yerr head up?". |
| John Brown |
 |
| Victoria promoted Brown in rank and salary, rising him for being a favoured servant to be her trusted friend. But there were several obstacles for the Queen's friendship with his servant. Her family and her court disliked Brown's manners and his like for whisky. People began to whispered, the Queen's unpopularity increased and the prestige of the monarchy was severely damage. A joke was made about the Queen's relation with her servant, refering to her as Mrs.Brown. The Government urged the Queen to appear in public in order to restablished the lost prestige. Finally she agreed to attend a military review in Hyde Park in 1867, but she announced she would be attended by Brown. When her Ministers opposed to Brown's presence, she answered: "If the government wants me, they have to put up with Brown. In 1872, the Queen was riding back from St. Paul's Cathedral, after a thanksgiving service for the Prince of Wales recuperation of a serious illness that had placed him at the edge of death. Prince Arthur was with her in the carriage, and John Brown, as ever, was in the carriage's box. Suddenly, at the gates of Buckingham Palace, a seventeen year old Fenian, arthur O'Connor, approached the carriage and pointed a pistol at the Queen. In seconds, Brown reacted and leaping from the box, he seized the man by the throat and threw him to the ground. Prince Arthur had also leaped from the carriage and tried to help Brown, but the servant had already the man under his control. After the attempt against her life and the Prince of Wales's illness, the Queen popularity recovered and her subjects gave her several demonstrations of loyalty. Brown stayed by the Queen's side for the rest of his life. As the years passed, the malignant rumours about his relation with the Queen, came to an end. In 1878, it was him who brought the Queen the sad news of Princess Alice's death in Darmstadt. In 1883, Brown got ill with erysipela. On Tuesday, March 29, John Brown died at 10:40 in the evening. It was Prince Leopold who brought the Queen the sad news. She sent a wreath that was placed on his coffin with the following inscription: "A tribute of loving, grateful and everlasting friendship and affection from his truest, best and most faithful friend, Victoria R.& I." |
| Disraeli and Gladstone In 1868, Benjamin Disraeli, form the Conservative Party, became Prime Minister. He was one of Victoria' favourite politicians since at the event of Albert's death he had expressed his admiration for the Prince Consort. The Queen assured that Disraeli was the only man who really appreciated the Prince. Before being Prime Minister, Disraeli had been Chancellor of the Exchequer and leader of the House of Commons. He had written some novels where he expressed the political´philosophy that aristocracy should use its power to help and protect the poor. Unfortunately for Queen Victoria, her Minister only lasted in power for 9 months. In December 1868 the Liberal Party won the elections and William Ewart Gladstone became Prime Minister. Disraeli and Gladstone had been political enemies since 1852 when Gladstone attacked Disareli's budget speech at the House of Commons, under Lord Derby's ministery. When Derby's governmetn lost the elections and Lord Aberdeen formed a coalition government, Gladstone succeded Disraeli as Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Queen didn't like Gladstone. In his personal treatment to her, the Minister was so ceremoniuos and formal that Victoria had said: "He talks to me as if I were an assembly". She knew she was the Queen but she also was a lady and she wished to be treated like that. Besides she diliked Gladstone's intrincated way of leading policies. She had on her desk thousands of papers to review and sign, most of which she didn't understand quite well. Among the reforms Gladstone introduced during his ministery were the Reform of the Irish Church, the Agricultural reform in Ireland, educational reforms, reforms in Parliamentary elections, and reforms in the administraiton of justice. But the liberal reform Victoria diliked the most, was the one that Gladstone applied to the Army. For a long time the Supreme Military Chief depended directly from the sovereign; from now on he would depend from the Parliament and from the Minister of War. Victoria considered this innovation as a personal attack to herself, but she could do nothing before the Prime Minister's decistion. Altough Victoria's personal disliked of him, Gladstone was a great politician, who frequently defended the monarchy against republicanist currents. The popular discontent becuse of the Queen's prolonged retirement had resurged and a wave of republicanism was spreading over England. Sir Charles Dilke gave an elocuent speech against monarchy in a republican meeting in Newcastle. In 1872 Dilke proposed before the House of Commons an investigation of the Queen's expenses in order to reduce her budget. Mr. Gladstone defended the Crown at the House of Commons with great elocuency and had a great success; eventough, this didn't improve the Royal affction towards him. In 1874 Gladstone and his liberals were defeated and, for Victoria's joy, Disraeli became again Prime Minister |
 |
 |
| Benjamin Disraeli |
| William Ewart Gladstone |