Farewell in splendour - Jerrold M Packard

In January 1901, Queen Victoria, Queen of Great Britain, Empress of India, lay dying, her reign the longest in British history. She had given her name to an age, and now that age would pass into history. This book recreates the last days of the monarch, her death and the massive funeral. The author looks at the legacy she left behind, and how the empire she had created reacted to her leaving. From the royal palaces at Windsor and Osborne to the effect on foreign powers - including that of her grandson - Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany - and all parts of the Empire, the reader is shown how influential Queen Victoria had become. Alongside this, is the story of the royal physicians who worked hard to balance the needs of the Queen herself, her family and the wider political sphere in which she also played her part; the story of her son, Bertie, at last about to take on a proper role after years of acting the playboy; and the grieving public who mourned Victoria and the security, safety and status she stood for.