The Queen', 1892

The Queen', 1892. A photographic portrait of Queen Victoria (1819-1901), taken by W & D Downey. Victoria succeeded to the throne of her uncle, William IV, on June 20, 1837, her coronation following a year later in Westminster Abbey. In 1840 she married her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg, best remembered for his Great Exhibition project, 1851. They had nine children. In 1861, Victoria lost both her mother and her husband, and guarded her private life closely duing her mourning period. Her daughter-in-law, Princess Alexandra of Denmark, stepped in to take over may of her public functions. Victoria's reign of 64 years is the longest of any British monarch. She will always be associated with Britain's great age of Empire, industrial expansion, and economic progress. Victoria became Empress of India in 1877. This photograph appears in 'The Cabinet Portrait Gallery' series of celebrity portraits and biographies published in the 1890s. The series includes royalty, actors, academics and authors. ©SSPL/NMeM/Kodak Collection