the UK mainland. While returning from Osborne with the Queen and several of the royal family aboard on 18 August 1875, the Alberta collided with the schooner Mistletoe. The captain of the Alberta altered course to pass behind of the schooner, when the Mistletoe suddenly tacked, and was run down. The survivors were pulled aboard the Alberta, Queen Victoria taking a special interest in comforting them. The master of the Mistletoe and two passengers died in the accident, and the jury in the coroner's inquest was unable to return a verdict. Alberta was found to be to blame for the collision. Captain Welch was reprimanded by the Admiralty. On 13 August 1878, she was run into by at West Cowes, Isle of Wight and was damaged. William Umpleby Kirk photographed the Alberta entering Cowes Harbour at a speed of . It was one of the first British photographs of a vessel in motion and earned him a royal warrant. Alberta was in use again in December 1882, carrying the Queen to Stokes Bay near Gosport to visit wounded personnel from the Anglo-Egyptian War being treated at Haslar Hospital. In 1896 Alberta carried the body of Prince Henry of Battenberg, who had died in West Africa of malaria during the Ashanti War, to Cowes. The death of Queen Victoria On 18 December 1900 Alberta carried the Queen to the Isle of Wight for the last time. Aged 81, and in failing health, the Queen spent Christmas at Osborne, and her condition rapidly declined. Close members of her family were summoned, and on 19 January 1901 Alberta carried Prince Edward and Princess Louisa across the Solent to be at her bedside. Over the next few days Alberta conveyed numerous royal persons and their attendants across to the Isle of Wight, including the Prince of Wales and the Queen's grandson Kaiser Wilhelm II, on the morning of 21 January. Queen Victoria died in the evening of 22 January. After her body had been prepared, Admiral Sir John Fullerton and the officers of Alberta came ashore to pay their respects with the rest of the royal staff and servants. On 24 January Alberta carried the new King Edward VII back to Osborne after his journey to London for his proclamation as king. The Royal Standard, which had been lowered to half-mast following the Queen's death, was raised again, and the king took the salutes