Since the reign of George the First, who was Elector of Hanover, the kings of England had also ruled over that kingdom; but in Hanover there is a law which prevents females from reigning there; so that, when William the Fourth died, Hanover was separated from England; and at the same time that the Princess Victoria ascended the English throne, Ernest Duke of Cumberland, the fifth son of George the Third (and the Queen’s eldest surviving uncle), became King of Hanover. But Hanover has since been made part of the German Empire. The reign of Victoria, the happiest and best that ever was for England, has yet been marked by a great deal of fighting in all parts of the world. First, there were riots in Canada, and it was three years before they were entirely put down; then a number of people who called themselves Chartists created some uneasiness at home, but their meetings were soon stopped, and their ringleaders were transported; next, a war broke out in China and another in India, and it was eight years before all these disturbances were settled. Meanwhile the people were glad to turn their minds from these troubles to an event that gave every one pleasure, namely, the marriage of the Queen with her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, nephew of Leopold, the wise King of the Belgians. There were great rejoicings on this occasion, and with reason, for it proved one of the happiest events, not only for the Queen, but for her people. The French had for some time been growing more and more dissatisfied with the government of Louis Philippe, whom they had chosen, in 1830, to be their king; and every now and then they had shown their discontent by insurrections, which led to fighting in the streets of Paris. At length their displeasure vented itself in a complete revolution, and Louis Philippe, in terror for his life, made his escape and came for refuge to England. [Illustration: The Marriage of Queen Victoria.]