Queen Victoria had all died, leaving no surviving legitimate children. The United Kingdom was already an established constitutional monarchy, in which the sovereign held relatively little direct political power. Privately, Victoria attempted to influence government policy and ministerial appointments; publicly, she became a national icon who was identified with strict standards of personal morality. Victoria married her first cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1840. Their nine children married into royal and noble families across the continent, tying them together and earning her the sobriquet "the grandmother of Europe". After Albert's death in 1861, Victoria plunged into deep mourning and
MS Queen Victoria MS Queen Victoria MS "Queen Victoria (QV") is a Vista-class cruise ship operated by the Cunard Line and is named after the British Monarch Queen Victoria. "Queen Victoria" is of the same basic design as other Vista-class cruise ships including "Queen Elizabeth". The external and internal designs are more in keeping with Cunard's style and at , and is the smallest of Cunard's ships in operation. "Queen Victoria"s facilities include seven restaurants, thirteen bars, three swimming pools, a ballroom, and a theatre. Unlike many previous Cunard ships, "Queen Victoria" is not a traditional ocean liner as she does not have