Last post about Queen Victoria. Her death.

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Queen Victoria used to spend Christmas in her latter years at Osbourne house on the Isle of Wight. It held special memories for her because Prince Albert had designed the house in the style of an Italian Villa. The year 1900 had been a particularly bad year for her when several close members of her family died. Shortly after the New Year she became ill. She was wheelchair bound and took to her bed. Her family more or less ignored the fact that she was dying despite her personal physician trying to prepare them for it. It was almost as if they were in denial. It was only when the Doctor so concerned sent a telegram to Kaiser Willhelm II of Germany who left Germany immediately to be with her that the rest of the family finally took on board the fact that the impossible was near. Queen Victoria passed away on 22nd January 1901 at 18:30 pm after being on the throne for 64 years. She was surrounded by her family and her grandson Kaiser Wilhelm .Panic ensued as all the people who were aware of organising the funeral ceremonies for a monarch were now dead. No one knew the procedures that should be followed. The Queen had left instructions that her funeral be a full military funeral. There were arguments among the family about what should be done. The Kaiser had organised a funeral mask to have been taken of her. This infuriated the family as Queen Victoria found this most distasteful and hated this habit. The Royal undertaker arrived from London but had forgotten to bring a coffin. A coffin was hastely made for her. A local undertaker quickly built a coffin for her. She was dressed in a white silk dress and her wedding veil. She had the order of the garter placed on her and the garter badge. . They had to get her body back to London. The Queens body was put on a Train to London Victoria station. 33, 000 soldiers were drawn to London to take part in the ceremony. It took 2 hours for the cortege to arrive at Paddington station for her onward journey to Windsor. Usually Monarchs are buried either in Westminster Abbey or St. Georges Church at Windsor castle but the Queen had commissioned a mausoleum at Frogmore for her body to rest beside her husband Prince Albert. Queens Consort. Her coffin was placed on a gun carriage which was drawn by 8 white horses. As her procession started the horses bolted and the coffin nearly fell off the gun carriage. They were unable to reharness the horses. 138 navel staff pulled her coffin instead to St Georges chapel for the funeral service. She was later buried at Frogmore. Inside were some private items a hand cast of Prince Albert, Photos and John Brown's mothers wedding ring. The Earl Marshall should have known the procedure for the funeral but she had out lived all her privy council, 10 prime ministers, 5 Archbishops of Canterbury, 18 presidents of the USA and even all of her bridesmaids. The end of the Victorian era. The photo is of the terrace at Osborne House Isle of Wight.