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WIDOWHOOD.
I The death of the Prince Consort was the central turning-point in the history of Queen Victoria.

She herself felt that her true life had ceased with her husband's, and that the remainder of her days upon earth was of a twilight nature--an epilogue to a drama that was done.

Nor is it possible that her biographer should escape a similar impression.

For him, too, there is a darkness over the latter half of that long career.
The first forty--two years of the Queen's life are illuminated by a great and varied quantity of authentic information.