Queen Victoria: Story of Her Life and Reign, 1819-1901Anonymous
History
Queen Victoria: Story of Her Life and Reign, 1819-1901
Anonymous
Victoria, Queen of Great Britain, 1819-1901
Early in 1887 a movement was set afoot in order to found in London an
Imperial Institute as a permanent memorial of the Queen's Jubilee. Her
Majesty laid the foundation stone on July 4, 1887, and it was formally
opened in 1893. A movement was also commenced having for its object the
receiving of contributions towards a personal Jubilee offering to the
Queen, from the women and girls of all classes, grades, and ages
throughout the United Kingdom. A leaflet was written for general
distribution, which ran as follows: 'The women and girls of the United
Kingdom, of all ages, ranks, classes, beliefs, and opinions, are asked to
join in one common offering to their Queen, in token of loyalty,
affection, and reverence, towards the only female sovereign in history
who, for fifty years, has borne the toils and troubles of public life,
known the sorrows that fall to all women, and as wife, mother, widow, and
ruler held up a bright and spotless example to her own and all other
nations. Contributions to range from one penny to one pound. The nature of
the offering will be decided by the Queen herself, and the names of all
contributors will be presented to Her Majesty.' The Queen selected as this
women's Jubilee gift a replica of Baron Marochetti's Glasgow statue of
Prince Albert, to be placed in Windsor Great Park, opposite the statue of
herself in Windsor.
The amount reached £75,000; nearly 3,000,000 had subscribed, and the
statue was unveiled by the Queen, May 12, 1890. The surplus was devoted to
founding an institution for promoting the education and maintenance of
nurses for the sick poor in their own homes.
In connection with the Jubilee the Queen addressed the following letter to
her people:
WINDSOR CASTLE, _June_ 24, 1887.
I am anxious to express to my people my warm thanks for the kind, and
more than kind, reception I met with on going to and returning from
Westminster Abbey, with all my children and grandchildren.
The enthusiastic reception I met with then, as well as on all these
eventful days, in London, as well as in Windsor, on the occasion of
my Jubilee, has touched me most deeply. It has shown that the labour
and anxiety of fifty long years, twenty-two of which I spent in
unclouded happiness shared and cheered by my beloved husband, while
an equal number were full of sorrows and trials, borne without his
sheltering arm and wise help, have been appreciated by my people.
This feeling and the sense of duty towards my dear country and
subjects, who are so inseparably bound up with my life, will
encourage me in my task, often a very difficult and arduous one,
during the remainder of my life.
The wonderful order preserved on this occasion, and the good
behaviour of the enormous multitudes assembled, merits my highest
admiration.
That God may protect and abundantly bless my country is my fervent
prayer.
VICTORIA, R. & I.
[Illustration: Windsor Castle.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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