QUEEN VICTORIA (GREAT BRITAIN) - THIRD PERSON AUTOGRAPH LETTER 01/12/1855 - HFSID 167840

QUEEN VICTORIA
Appointments of her representatives in Ceylon and Corfu.
Third Person Autograph Letter signed: "The Queen" in brown ink. 1 page, 4½x7. Windsor Castle, 1855 January 12. To Sir George Gray. In full: "The Queen acknowledges Sir G. Gray's letter of the 10th & entirely approves that Sir Henry Ward shd be appointed Governor of Ceylon in the place of Sir H. Anderson who is to succeed Sir H. Ward at Corfu." Despite the impressive size of his own family, with the death of King George III, the crown passed through his children in quick succession, first to his eldest son George IV (1820-1830), than to his third son William IV (1830-1837), and eventually to one of his more unlikely heirs, his granddaughter by his fourth son, Princess Victoria. QUEEN VICTORIA of the United Kingdom and the Empress of India (1819-1901) ascended the throne at the young age of 18, beginning the longest reign in British history and ruling over a time soon to be known as the Victorian Era. This time period was remembered for its industrial, cultural, political, scientific and military change within the United Kingdom with massive growth of the British Empire. More of a national icon rather than a direct political power, Victoria's name was synonymous with strict standards of personal morality. Her great affection for her husband, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, remains a renowned love story in her history; they had nine children together, all married into royal and noble families across the continent, tying them together and earning her the nickname "Grandmother of Europe". Her reign lasted sixty-three years and seven months, and with her death so ended the House of Hanover in the British monarchy, and her legacy of her detailed correspondence and journals have displayed her previously unknown political straight-talking which was emotional, obstinate, and honest. SIR GEORGE W. ANDERSON (1791-1857) served as Governor of Ceylon from November 27, 1850 to January 18, 1855, six days after Queen Victoria wrote this letter. Charles J. MacCarthy was Acting Governor of Ceylon until the arrival of SIR HENRY WARD (1797-1860) on May 11, 1855. Ward served as Governor until his death on June 30, 1860. In 1814, following the final defeat of Napoleon, the Ionian Islands, including Corfu, were declared an independent state under the protection of Great Britain. Under the British, the economy recovered fully, a road network was constructed, the Ionian Academy was established as the first Greek university and, most important of all, Greek became the official language. Sir Henry Ward was Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands from June 2, 1849 until April 12, 1855 when he sailed for Ceylon. He was succeeded by Sir John Young, not by Anderson. The British remained until 1864, when the islands were united with Greece. SIR GEORGE GRAY (1812-1898) represented the Queen as Governor of South Australia (1841-1845), New Zealand (1845-1853, 1861-1868) and the Cape Colony (1854-1860), where he advocated federation for the South African territories. When war broke out between Maori natives and English settlers, Grey returned to New Zealand as Governor (1861-1868). He later served as Premier of New Zealand (1877-1879). Lightly creased at bottom corners. Two light tackhead-size stains in blank area of text. Fine condition.