About Queen Victoria's Influence on England

Queen Victoria ruled Great Britain for 63 years, from 1837 to 1901, longer than any other monarch. She lent her name to the era in which she ruled. The BBC lists her as one of the most important people in British history.

Morality

The Victoria Era, with its strict ethics and religious beliefs, began in 1883, after the queen had been on the throne for more than 40 years. It took the death of her servant, John Brown, with whom she was rumored to be having an affair, for the public to accept her as a paragon of virtue.

Politics

Tired of weak prime ministers ruling England, she convinced liberal Whigs and moderate Tories to join forces. The new coalition failed and she turned to backing the Conservatives for much of the rest of her life.

Democracy

Queen Victoria's low popularity during a period of self-imposed seclusion following the death of her husband in 1861 allowed anti-monarchists to push democratic reforms through Parliament. Among them was the Reform Act of 1867, which granted voting rights to the working poor.

Ireland

Queen Victoria stopped visiting Ireland in the 1870s after a series of personal effronteries, making Irish nationalists stronger and leading to the creation of Sinn Fein.

Significance

Queen Victoria's popularity with the middle class helped establish the guidelines for England's modern royal family, exerting little political authority while promoting social issues.

Honors

Queen Victoria created the Victoria Cross for valor after the Crimean War. Canada's Victoria Day is held in her honor on May 24, and places in Australia, Canada, the Seychelles and Africa are named in her honor.

References

• FamousPeople.co.uk

Resources

• Victoria's Past