On January 14th, 1892 (again that terrible 14th), Queen Victoria received a terrible news; her grandson, Prince Albert Victor, the Prince of Wales's eldest son and heir apparent to the throne, died of pneumonia. He was about to get married to Princess Mary of Teck. The Queen wrote on her journal: "Poor, poor parents. Poor May, to have her whole bright future to be merely a dream! Poor me in my old age to see this young promising life cut short". On March 13 of that same year another death griefed her; this time it eas her son-in-law, Grand Duke Ludwig of Hesse, the late Princess Alice's husband. "It is too dreadful, she wrote, to have to lose him too. Again near that terrible number 14".
On July 1892, to the Queen consternation, Lord Salisbury had to resign, being replaced again by Gladdstone, who was now 82 years old. At her first audience with the Minister on August 15, when she saw him leaning upon a stick just as herself, the Queen told him: "You and I Mr. Gladstone are lamer than we used to be!". Then she behaved as cold as ever with the old Minister.
The Queen's first friction with Gladstone in his new Ministery, was when the Minister intended to bring into the Cabinet an old enemy of she, Henry Labouchere, whose newspapaer "Truth" had published several attacks against the Royal family. She made clear to Gladstone that she would only accept Labouchere if he closed his newspapaer and occupied a non-cabinet post where there would be no personal contact with herself. But labouchere did not leave "Truth" since it was a small gold mine. Instead he critized the Queen unmercifully in his newspaper, saying that she was acting unconstitutionally in rejecting him. The Queen said that it didn't matter what he said. In fact she had a perfect right to object, but at last she didn't need to, since Labouchere's name was not even submitted to the Cabinet.
Gladstone proposed again his Irish Home Rule. his time it was accepted by the House of Commos but rejected by the Lords with an outstanding majority.
Gladstone's popularity had a great decrease when it 1893 he refused to strenghten the British Navy, which in June suffered a great disaster; HMS Victoria crashed with MHMS Camperdan and sank to the bottom of the sea. On the other hand, Germnay was enhacing its navy, so his Cabinet urged Gladstoner to accept the reinforcement of the fleet. Even Queen Victoria sent him a message urging him to accept. But the Minister still refused. His attitude was severely critisized during the autumn and winter of 1893 and by December his position had significantly weakened.. On February of the new year he presented his resignation to the Queen. arguing his increasing deafness and blindnes because of his old age, which was true, but Queen Victoria knew very well that the actual cause was his political failure in the Navy affair. The old Minister hoped that his sovereign would show some sign of emotion after hearing of his resignation but the Queen showed instead a cruel happiness. On March 1st, he officially informed the Cabinet of his resignation and he addressed the House of Commons for the last time. He had been Prime Minister four times and had sat in the Parliament for 61 years. The next day Queen Victoria invited the Gladstones to dine with her. Mrs. Gladstone said between sobbs that her husband "had been always devoted to the Queen".
Queen Victoria chose Gladstione's succesor without consulting hm. It was Lord Roseberry. The reason she had for making her choice was that she was planning to go abroad for her spring holiday and was to attend the wedding of her grandchildren Ernst Ludwig of Hesse and Victoria Melita at Coburg and she needed someone to "carry on the Gladston e Government without a break"; she tought Roseberry would be appropiated.
William Ewart Gladstone would live three years more; he died on May 19, 1898. Queen Victoria's comment on his death was: "I did not like the man. How can I say Iam sorry when I am not? Nevertheless she sent Mrs. Gladstone a message thanking for her husband's loyalty : "I shall always gratefullly remember how anxious he always was to help and serve me in all that concerend my personal comfort and welfare... as well as that of my family... believe me, even yours affectionately, V.R.I."
In June 1895, Lord Salisbury returned to office. At the close of that same year an important conflict sprang out in South Africa. Cecil Rhodes was a British magnate who had made fortune from exploding diamond mines in South Africa. In 1891 his DeBeera Diamond Company controlled South Africa's diamond production. He was sure that Britain was the greatest nation in the world and he dreamed in creating a huge South African Empire under the British Crown. In 1890 he had became Prime Minister of the Cape Colony and he annexed two African territories, Bechaunaland and Matebeleland, to the British Empire; he modestly called them Rhodesia (now Zambia and Zimbabwe). Queen Victoria recieved Rhodes in a private audience in 1894 and asked him: "What have you being doing since I saw you last Mr. Rhodes?" He answered: "I have added two provinces to Your Majesty's dominions".
At northwest from the Cape Colony, there was a Boer Republic of Dutch origin called the Transvaal, which had obtained its autonomy from Britain in 1881 by the Convention of London and Paul Kruger had became its President. In 1886 gold was found in Transvaal and British seekers began to invade the Boer Republic; Cecil Rhodes became a leading investor in the gold mines.
In order to mantain Boer political control against the British, President Kruger established a 14 year residence requirement for ctizenship and voting, and descriminatory taxes were levied for foreign miners.
Kruger's policy against foreigners was an obstacle for Rhodes's interests in Transvaal so in 1895, he began to plot against the Boer Government. Together with his friend Dr. Leander Starr Jameson, he planned to invade Transvaal with a police force under Jameson's command. On December 29, Jameson entered Transvaal with 500 men with the intention of deposing Kruger without informing the British Government. But the Boers rejected the attack and Jameson had to surrender. Queen Victoria's grandson, Kaiser Wilhelm II, send Kruger a congratulations telegram, fact which gained him a great unpopularity in England and the Queen's dissaproval. After the Jameson Raid, war was inminent in the Transvaal.
The Daimond Jubilee
On September 23, 1896, Queen Victoria became the British longest reigning monarch, overpassing the 59 years and 96 days her grandfather King Geroge III had reigned. On June 1897 the whole nation celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Queen's accesion to the throne with a huge fectivity called the Diamond Jubilee. It was decided that no crown heads would be invited to the celebration. On Wednesday June 23, the Queen was driven in a carriage to the front steps of St. Paul's Catheedral where a Thanksgiving service and a Te Deum were held. It was decided to perform them outside the cathedral because of the Queen's difficutly to climb the steps. The Queen wrote her impressions about the Jubilee: "No one ever I believe, has met me with such an ovation as was given to me, passing through those six miles of streets... The crowds were quite indescribable, and their enthusiasm truly marvelous and deeply touching. The cheering was quite deafening and every face seemed to be tilled with real joy".
The Boer War
Since the Jameson Raid, Paul Kruger, president of Transvaal, had been buying weapons and strenghtening his army. He demanded indemnities for the raid of 677,930 pounds for material damages and one million pounds for moral and intelectual damages. The British Government responded sending troops to reinforce the British forces in Cape Colony. On October 10, 1899 Kruger sent an ultimatum to the British Government demanding to stop sending of British reinforcements to South Africa and the retreat of the troops at Trasnvaal frontier. Lord Salisbury's Cabinet rejected the ultimatum which meant war.
On October 11 the Boer cavalrey invaded Bechuanaland, the Cape Colony and Natal. The British troops were bisieged at Ladysmith, Kimberly and Mafeking. On December 15 a British reinforcement, in its way to help Ladysmith, was defeated at Colenso and 1,100 men were killed, wounded or missing. That same week another British force was defeated at Stormberg and Magersfontein. These days were known as the "Black Week".
Queen Victoria said to Arthur Balfour, Government leader in the House of Commons: "I will tell you one thing. I will have no depression in my house. We are most interested in the possibilities of defeat". Nevertheless, the entries in her Journal were short and depressed: "No news today. Only lists of casualties".
Altough her old age, she spent her time in reviewing troops and visiting hospitals.
Things changed in January 1900 with the appointment of Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener to command the British troops in South Africa, appointment which Queen Victoria had been urging her Government to do since the beginning. Ladysmith was relieved on February 28. Ecouraged by the bravery of the Irish troops in South Africa, the Queen decided to pay a visit to Ireland. She sent them a special message of congratulations and gave the permisson to wear the shamrock on St. Patrick's Day. During her visist (from April 4 to April 26), she created a new regiment of Irish guards.
Five days before the Queen's 81th birthday, on May 19, Mafeking was relieved by Baden Powell, who in a future time would create the Scouts international organization. At the time of Mafeking's relief, Queen Victoria was visiting Wellington College, where an inscription was palced saying: "Welcome to the Queen of Mafeking".
On May 24 1900, her 81th and last birthday arrived. "Again my old birthday, she wrote, God had been very merciful and supported me, but my trials and miseries have been manifold and I feel tired and upset by all <I have gone through this winter and spring". Two events would sorrow the Queen during the following months. In July, her second son, Alfred Duke of Saxe Coburg and Gotha, died of a throat cancer and in October, her grandson, Prince Christan Victor of Schleswig Holstein, who was fighting under Lord Kitchener and Lord Roberts in South Africa, died of a fever attack at Pretoria.
Altough the Brtish had smashed the Boers and President Kruger had fled to Europe, the rebelions were still appearing all over the country. The conflict would outlive the Queen; it was until 1902 that the peace was signed at Vereeniging.
The End of an Era
During the year 1900 the Queen's health began to decline. Her sight wasn't good anymore. She wore glasses for reading since 1877 but it was not till 1899 that she accepted to use them in public. A film had appear over her eyes, which was treated with belladonna. She demanded her secretaries to use a larger and darker handwritting so that she could read it. During her spring holiday in Scotalnd she was affected by fatigue and indigestion .
By September her health had worsened; she had lost weight, she couldn't sleep by night and she had to do an additional mental effort because of her failing memory. Nevertheless she traveled again to Balmoral in October and to Windsor in November and she inspected the Life Guards and the Canadian troops.
Meanwhile in Germany the Queen's eldest daughter, Vicky the Empress Frederick, was dying of cancer. She was in such terrible pain that she couldn't even write; she sent messages to her mother by the hand of her daughter Margaret.
Queen Victoria wrote on December 9th: "Did not feel well, though they say I am getting better". Anyway she insisted in attending the Irish Industries Exhibition at Windsor. It would be her last public appearence. Then she left Windsor and travelled to Osborne for Christmas.
She spent the whole nights awake, only falling asleep until the early hours of the morning, not awaking until noon, which infuriated her. Her granddaughter, Princess Helena Victoria, took the task of writting the Queen's Journal for her and Princess Beatrice wrote her letters. On New Year's Day Queen Victoria went with her son, the Duke of Connaught to visit convelscing soldiers and to Whippingham Church. The next day she received Lord Roberts. It was strain for her to talk with people; she prefered to listen music in her bedroom. Her grandson, Prince Leopold of Battenberg, play the violin for her, accompanied by his mother, Princess Beatrice. On January 13th, it was the Queen's last entry to her Journal: "Had a fair night; but it was a little wakeful. Rested again afterwards, then did some signing and dictated to Lenchen".
On Wednesday January 16th, Queen Victoria went for a ride in her donkey chaise in the grounds of Osborne House. It was the last time. Dr. James Reid officially informed that the Queen was ill. The next day she had difficulty with speech and mental confussion. Randall Davidson, Bishop of Winchester, was called to pray by the Queen's bedside. She asked for Turi, her little Pomeranian dog, whcih was inmediatelly brought by her side. By Saturday 19th, most of her family had summoned at Osborne: her sons, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Connaught, her daughters, Helena, Louise and Beatrice and her grandson, Kaiser Wilhelm II.
On Tuesday Janaury 22nd, her grandson Prince Alexander of Battenberg talked to her at eleven o'clock and she recognized him, but by 2:30 in the afternoon, she had fallen into agony. The family summoned around her bedside. Kaiser Wilhelm craddled her grandmother in arms for nearly three hours. At 5 o'clock she whispered her children's names, Bertie, Lenchen, Louise, Arthur, Beatrice. She died just after half past six. The Prince of Wales was kneeling besides her mother and the Duke of Connaught and the the Kaiser supported the Queen in their arms with pillows. The Bishop of Winchester, who was present wrote: "The last moments were like a great three-decker sick sinking. She rallied and gasped for breath, recognizing people, calling their names, then closing her eyes and sleeping back into unconsciousness. Her last word was "Bertie". Then came a great change of look and complete calmness".
Ten minutes later a message was read to the crowd outside the gates of Osborne: "Her Majesty the Queen breathen her last at 6:30 pm. surrounded by her children and grandchildren.
Her sons, the new King Edward VII and the Duke of Conaught lifted her body into her coffin, which was brought to Porthsmouth on board the Royal Yatch Alberta. From Porthsmouth it was taken by train to Paddington. A dense crowd had gathered in the route form Victoria Station to Paddington. Queen Victoria had reigned for almost sixty four years; almost nobody remembered another sovereign.
The funeral was held in St. George Chappel in Windsor. Then Queen Victoria was buried at Frogmore Mausoleum. At last, after forty two years, she rested by her beloved Albert's side.
Longford, Elizabeth: Queen Victoria, born to suceed
Starchey, Lyton: Victoria I
Duff, David: The Shy Princess, the life of Princess Beatrice.
Packard, Jerrold M.: Victoria's Daughters
Massie, Robert K.: Dreadnought