Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 10.djvu/248

LEFT VICTOR EMMANUEL III. 210 VICTORIA Victor Emmanuel was proclaimed King of Italy. In 1866, as the ally of Prussia, his army was defeated at Custozza, and his fleet at Lissa; but the success of the Prussians at Sadowa restored Venetia to Italy, the unification of which king- dom Victor Emmanuel completed in 1870, by making Rome his capital. The personal character of the first King of Italy bore a close resemblance to that of Henry IV., King of France, and, like that monarch he possessed a bonhomie which rendered him popular among all classes of his subjects. Like Henry Quatre, too, Victor Emmanuel II. on sev- eral fields of battle displayed an almost reckless bravery; while his penchant for the fair sex was as notorious as that of his illustrious prototype. Victor Em- manuel died in Rome, Jan. 9, 1878, and was succeeded by his son Humbert. VICTOR EMMANUEL III., King of Italy, born in Naples, in 1869, the son of Ring Humbert. After the assassina- tion of his father by a fanatic he as- cended the throne of Italy, on Nov. 11, 1900. In 1887 he entered the Army as a second lieutenant, becoming a colonel in 1890, when he was given command of First Italian Infantry at Naples. In 1896 he married Princess Helene, the daughter of Prince Nicholas, ruler of Montenegro, by whom he had four daughters and a son, the latter the present heir apparent. Prince Umberto, born in 1904. In spite of small size and insignificant appearance. King Victor has been very popular among the masses on account of his democratic manners and the obviously sincere in- terest he takes in the welfare of the people as a whole, notable in his fair at- titude toward the labor organizations during the labor troubles in 1920. VICTORIA, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Empress of India, only child of Edward, Duke of Kent (fourth son of George III.) ; bom in Kensington Pal- ace, May 24, 1819. Her mother, Victoria Maria Louisa (1786-1861), was the daughter of Francis, Duke of Saxe- Coburg, and sister of Leopold, King of the Belgians. Her first husband, the Prince of Leiningen, died in 1814; and in 1818 she married the Duke of Kent. The duke died in 1820, leaving his wid- ow in charge of an infant daughter only eight months old, who had been baptized with the names of Alexandrina Victoria. The Duchess of Kent fulfilled the important duties which devolved on her with admirable care and prudence. The princess' father having belonged to the Whigs, her political education was naturally derived from the members of that party; and to Viscount Melbourne belongs the credit of having thoroughly instructed her in the principles of the British constitution. She ascended the throne of the United Kingdom on the death of her uncle, William IV., on June 20, 1837; her uncle, the Duke of Cumberland, became King of Hanover, in virtue of the law which excluded females from that throne, and so the long connection between the crowns of England and Hanover was terminated. Victoria was proclaimed June 21, 1837, and crowned at Westminster, June 28, 1838. She found on her accession Vis- count Melbourne at the head of the government; and on a change of ad- ministration (1839) she refused to change, in accordance with precedent, the ladies of the bedchamber, the re- sult being that Peel resigned and Mel- bourne's administration was prolonged till 1841. The young queen was married at St. James' Palace (Feb. 10, 1840) to Prince Albert, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and second son of the then reigning duke. The death of the Prince-Consort in 1861 led his widow to seclude herself for several years from public life, but, though she never afterward took so prominent a part in public life, she never neglected any of her essential duties as queen. Other severe trials were the deaths of the Princess Alice (of Hesse), of the Duke of Albany, and of the Duke of Clarence, her grandson. No former monarch so thoroughly com- prehended the great truth, that the powers of the crown are held in trust for the people, and are the means and not