The Victorian Era
Queen Victoria gives her name to the period between 20 June 1837 and 22 January 1901, when she was on the throne for 63 years and 216 days.
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the husband of Queen Victoria died on 14 December 1861 in the Blue Room at Windsor Castle, in the presence of the Queen and five of their nine children. He was 42 years old and his death plunged the Queen into a deep mourning which lasted for the rest of her life. He had married his first cousin Victoria on 10 April 1840. At first he was not popular with the British public and was perceived to be from an impoverished and undistinguished minor state, barely larger than a small English county. Over time he adopted many public causes, such as educational reform and the abolition of slavery, and took on the responsibilities of running the Queen's household. His biggest contribution to the UK was arguably the organisation of the Great Exhibition of 1851. Albert also aided in the development of Britain's constitutional monarchy by persuading his wife to show less partisanship in her dealings with Parliament and introducing the principle that the Royal Family should remain above politics.