Changes

The greatest test of the Queen's life came in December 1861 when, after a short illness, the prince died from [[typhoid fever]]. She was overcome with grief and went into formal mourning for the remainder of her life. She lived in seclusion, focused on child rearing and giving up much of the political influence which she had exerted with Albert. For ten years Victoria made no ceremonial appearances in public, saying the public did not wish to see "a poor, broken-hearted widow, dragged in deep mourning, alone in State as a show."<ref>Christopher Hibbert, ''Queen Victoria'' (2001) [http://books.google.com/books?id=JdE4oBKAnA0C&pg=PA312&lpg=PA312&dq=poor,+broken-hearted+widow,+dragged+in+deep+mourning,&source=web&ots=8R7Myjky79&sig=0fD7_9Mse8nuPqOlAROk8CuoM5k&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result online p. 81]</ref>  Her popularity revived in the 1870s.

The greatest test of the Queen's life came in December 1861 when, after a short illness, the prince died from [[typhoid fever]]. She was overcome with grief and went into formal mourning for the remainder of her life. She lived in seclusion, focused on child rearing and giving up much of the political influence which she had exerted with Albert. For ten years Victoria made no ceremonial appearances in public, saying the public did not wish to see "a poor, broken-hearted widow, dragged in deep mourning, alone in State as a show."<ref>Christopher Hibbert, ''Queen Victoria'' (2001) [http://books.google.com/books?id=JdE4oBKAnA0C&pg=PA312&lpg=PA312&dq=poor,+broken-hearted+widow,+dragged+in+deep+mourning,&source=web&ots=8R7Myjky79&sig=0fD7_9Mse8nuPqOlAROk8CuoM5k&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result online p. 81]</ref>  Her popularity revived in the 1870s.

The Queen and Albert had been close to Britain's Whig party, but after 1870 she came around to the expansionist and imperialist views of the Conservative party. She strongly supported [[Benjamin Disraeli]]'s Conservative ministry from 1874 to 1880, and in 1876 when he made her [[Empress of India]] she showed her gratitude to him by opening Parliament in person and by bestowing a peerage upon him. When Disraeli's government lost the 1880 election, the Queen was reluctant to send for [[William Gladstone]], whom she ridiculed as "that dreadful old man." Nevertheless Gladstone treated her suitable courtesy that stood in contrast to Disraeli's unbecoming mixture of banter and chivalry.

The Queen and Albert had been close to Britain's Whig party, but after 1870 she came around to the expansionist and imperialist views of the Conservative party. She strongly supported [[Benjamin Disraeli]]'s Conservative ministry from 1874 to 1880, and in 1876 when he made her [[Empress of India]] she showed her gratitude to him by opening Parliament in person and by bestowing a peerage upon him. When Disraeli's government lost the 1880 election, the Queen was reluctant to send for [[William Gladstone]], whom she ridiculed as "that dreadful old man." Nevertheless, Gladstone treated her suitable courtesy that stood in contrast to Disraeli's unbecoming mixture of banter and chivalry.

==Empire==

==Empire==