Title: How Did Prince Albert's Death In 1861 Affect Queen Victoria? - HistoryExtra
Headings: Prince Albert: the death that rocked the monarchy
Prince Albert: the death that rocked the monarchy
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Content: The whole nation had settled down for the evening reassured, hopeful that the worst was now over. Most of the Sunday morning papers for the 15th had already gone to press and did not carry the news, although in London one or two special broadsheets were rushed out and sold at a premium. For most ordinary British people the news of Prince Albert’s death came with the mournful sound of bells, as the message was relayed from village to village and city to city across the country’s churches. Many still did not realise the significance until, when it came to the prayers for the royal family during morning service, the prince’s name was omitted. But it was still hard to believe. The official bulletins from Windsor had suggested only a ‘low fever’ – which in Victorian parlance could be anything from a chill to something more sinister like typhoid fever. The royal doctors had been extremely circumspect in saying what exactly was wrong, not just to the public but also Albert’s highly strung wife, and very few had any inkling of how ill he was. How could this have happened, people asked themselves; how could a vigorous man of only 42 have died without warning? The impact of Prince Albert’s death, coming as unexpectedly as it did, was dramatic and unprecedented.