Victoria

This article is about the queen of the United Kingdom. For other uses, see Victoria (disambiguation).

Alexandrina Victoria (1819 – 1901) was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 and Empress of India from 1876 until her death.

Victoria's 64-year rule of the United Kingdom was the longest of any of British monarch, or any female monarch in history, until the 70-year reign of her great-great-granddaughter Elizabeth II. Her reign, dubbed as the "Victorian era", was marked her surviving seven attempted assassinations, the Industrial Revolution, and the massive expansion of the British Empire until the monarch ruled all five continents.

Biography

Early life and reign

Alexandrina Victoria was born in Kensington Palace in London to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn and German-born Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Due to her father and grandfather's death, Alexandrina was raised by her mother, a childhood she later described as "rather melancholy".

She inherited the throne at age 18 and married her first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1840, becoming Queen Victoria. Contrary to tradition, Victoria proposed to Albert as she was the Queen. She then gave birth to nine children; Victoria, Albert, Alice, Alfred, Helena, Louise, Arthur, Leopold, and Beatrice. Their nine children later married into royal and noble families in Europe, earning her the nickname "the grandmother of Europe".

Queen Victoria and John Brown, 1863

After Albert's death in 1861, Victoria plunged into deep mourning and vanished from the public eye. Her popularity recovered, however, in the later years of her reign. In October 1863, Victoria grew close to one of her husband household servants, John Brown. Making rumors spread about their relationship, that the Queen had taken another lover. On 23 and 25 April 1865, Victoria received letters from her uncle, Leopold I of Belgium, to which the Queen felt emotionally moved by. In her reply, sent 27 April, she discussed the betrothal of her daughter, Helena, to Prince Christian of Augustenberg. Two days later, she sent a letter of condolences to Mary Lincoln regarding her husband's assassination. She received a reply from Mrs. Lincoln on 21 May expressing her gratitude for the Queen's condolences. On 13 June, Victoria sent a letter to her eldest son, Albert, regarding names for his unborn son (and her grandson).

On 22 January 1866, Queen Victoria sent a letter to Earl Russell concerning the reopening of parliament. Denying the Earl's request, Victoria expressed her need to continue mourning. On 6 February, Victoria attended the State Opening of Parliament for the first time since Albert's death. On 16 October, Victoria discussed with her son Albert on his visit to Saint Petersburg. The Queen stated in her letter her disdain for the country but understood and respected Albert's decision to be present for the marriage of Princess Elisabeth.

On 22 May 1867, Victoria announced her plan to award her son Albert, the Order of the Thistle, her son Arthur the Order of the Garter, Prince Victor the Office of Constable of the Round Tower, and Prince Christian the honor of being Ranger of Windsor Park. On 26 June, Lord Charles FitzRoy was invited for lunch on the Queen's behalf. On 14 October, Victoria met with General Charles Grey discussing a possible attack by Fenians. As a precaution, the 93rd Highlanders regiment was placed at Abergeldie. On 16 December, Victoria denied a request from Lord Stanley to observe and advise parliament. On 19 December, after the Queen had moved to a more vulnerable Osborne on the Isle of Wight for the Christmas season, she received a most alarming message from General Grey concerning rumors of an assassination plot against her.

Aiding the Assassins

Queen Victoria meeting Evie Frye

In 1868, while hosting a ball at Buckingham Palace, Victoria had the pleasure of meeting Evie Frye, who was introduced by Mary Anne Disraeli. Victoria remarked that the young Frye was behind the theft of William Gladstone's carriage, but made no effort to have her arrested since she, like the Disraelis, heartily disliked Gladstone. Instead, much to the Assassin's relief, she merely told the young woman to enjoy the ball, especially the cake which was apparently very good.

Queen Victoria inducts the Frye twins and Henry Green into the Order of the Secret Garter

The next day, Victoria met with Evie, her brother Jacob and Henry Green, having been told by Sergeant Frederick Abberline of how they thwarted a plot against her life by Crawford Starrick. In recognition of their deeds, she knighted the trio into the Order of the Sacred Garter. Before departing their company, Victoria reminded Evie that she saved some cake for her.

At some point, a royal guard turned up murdered in Victoria's study, in which the Frye twins were called in. Victoria personally inspected her safe, which contained the Scepter of the Dove, which she planned on using to knight several industrialists opposing child labor later in the day. One of the Fryes then left the palace to chase down another lead and later returned to warn the Queen that a bomb was in the palace. However, the bomb turned out to be a hoax and the dead guard was in fact an impostor named Henry Raymond, who merely used spider venom to put himself in a death-like state so he could observe the Queen's combination to the safe so he could steal the Scepter. Though Raymond held young Artie hostage, the Frye twins were able to kill him, saving Artie and thwarting the caper.

Queen Victoria expresses her gratitude for the Frye twins' service

Victoria later summoned the Frye twins to request their aid in thwarting a faction of Templars attempting to regain their power in London through acts of terrorism. Once the plot was thwarted, including an attempt to bomb Parliament, Victoria offered the Fryes her gratitude and expressed her hope that they will continue to assist her in strengthening the British Empire. However, the twin Assassins politely state that their Creed forbids them from assisting in the expansion of the Empire. Evie suggested that the Queen put an end to her imperialist beliefs. Victoria understood and respected their position. She provides them with rewards for their deeds before bidding them farewell.

Later life and death

Queen Victoria with Abdul Karim, c. 1893

In the last fourteen years of her life, Queen Victoria befriended her Indian servant Abdul Karim. She eventually died on 22 January 1901, with Abdul by her side. Upon her death, her eldest son and successor Albert – now Edward VII – ordered Abdul return to India and all correspondence between him and the Queen be burned.

Personality and traits

Queen Victoria was hemophiliac, as were her family; hence, she named the disease the "Royal Malady". She also stood at exactly 5 feet tall. Victoria composed herself in a regal manner. As a wife she was affectionate and loving and was devastated when her husband Albert passed away, so much so that she always wore her mourning clothing from then on. The Queen shut herself away for five years just to mourn.

The Queen was also known to have a high libido, as stated by one of her diary entries: "I will NEVER forget such a night!!! His passion and affection (...) aroused such feelings (...) as I would never before have hoped to know!" She was also headstrong and opinionated, as she protested her strong dislike for both the country of Russia and of a potential name of her unborn grandson. She did not think very highly of William Gladstone either.

Gallery

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  A portrait of Queen Victoria
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  An illustration of Queen Victoria with her daughter and German Emperor Frederick III
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  Promotional Art of Queen Victoria

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Syndicate (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Underworld
• Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Magus Conspiracy (indirect mention only)
• Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot