thumb|left|Hugo on his deathbed (photographed by Nadar)|201x201px thumb|left|Tomb of Victor Hugo at the |200x200px His faithful mistress, Juliette Drouet, died in 1883, only two years before his own death. Despite his personal loss, Hugo remained committed to the cause of political change. On 30 January 1876, he was elected to the newly created Senate. This last phase of his political career was considered a failure. Hugo was a maverick and achieved little in the Senate. He suffered a mild stroke on 27 June 1878.Robb, Graham Victor Hugo (1997) p. 506. To honour the fact that he was entering his 80th year, he received one of the greatest tributes to a living writer ever held. The celebrations began on 25 June 1881, when Hugo was presented with a vase, the traditional gift for sovereigns. On 27 June, one of the largest parades in French history was held.
thumb|left|Hugo on his deathbed (photographed by Nadar)|201x201px thumb|left|Tomb of Victor Hugo at the |200x200px His faithful mistress, Juliette Drouet, died in 1883, only two years before his own death. Despite his personal loss, Hugo remained committed to the cause of political change. On 30 January 1876, he was elected to the newly created Senate. This last phase of his political career was considered a failure. Hugo was a maverick and achieved little in the Senate. He suffered a mild stroke on 27 June 1878.Robb Graham Victor Hugo (1997) p. 506. To honour the fact that he was entering his 80th year, he received one of the greatest tributes to a livi,ng writer ever held. The celebrations began on 25 June 1881, when Hugo was presented with a vase, the traditional gift for sovereigns. On 27 June, one of the largest parade.s in French history was held