Queen Victoria, the UK’s monarch from 1837 to 1901, survived eight assassination attempts, with only one causing physical harm. Her attackers often claimed insanity, leading to a re-examination of legal standards. Despite this, she remained popular and was known for her imposing reputation despite her small stature. She also carried the X chromosome mutation that leads to haemophilia.
Queen Victoria was the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 until her death in 1901. During her reign, there were eight attempts on her life, starting in 1840 when an unemployed 18-year-old named Edward Oxford shot . to her and lost. Five other would-be assassins also shot pistols at the Queen as she was riding in her carriage, but she was not injured in these attempts. The only time Queen Victoria was physically injured by an assailant was on June 18, when an ex-soldier named Robert Pate surprised the 30-year-old monarch in her backyard and struck her on the head with an iron-tipped cane, resulting in bruises and a bad scar. Most of the Queen’s attackers claimed insanity, leading to a re-examination of the legal standards surrounding such an appeal.
A reign of more than six decades:
The attempts on Queen Victoria’s life, and her “stiff on the upper lip” response, made the longtime monarch even more popular with the general public.
Queen Victoria’s imposing reputation was at odds with her small stature. She was less than 5 feet (1.5 m) tall.
She carried the X chromosome mutation that leads to haemophilia, an affliction that became known as the “royal disease” due to its prevalence among European monarchs who were her descendants.
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