January 22, 1901
Queen Victoria died tonight at 6:30 p.m. She "passed away quite peacefully," and suffered no pain. She died one day before the anniversary of her father, the Duke of Kent's, death on January 23, 1820.
The Queen, who was surrounded by members of her family, including her eldest son, the Prince of Wales, who is now the King, and her eldest grandson, Kaiser Wilhelm II. The end came in a "simply furnished room at Osborne House. On the wall, the queen could see through her feeble eyes a portrait of her beloved Albert, who had designed the room where she now lay dying.
The Bishop of Winchester prayed ceaselessly at the Queen's bedside.
The Queen's family has not released a lot of information about her final hours, but it is known that Victoria, in a feeble voice, bid farewell to her son, "to whom she spoke a few words of great moment." All of the other members of the family who were present filed past the four poster bed to hear a whispered good bye. All were in tears.
At six p.m., as the Bishop continued his intercession, one of the Queen's young great-grandchildren "asked a question in a shrill, childish treble," and was immediately silenced.
The "strictest of secrecy" regarding the queen's final hours and death.
Funeral arrangements for the 81-year-old queen are expected to be announced in the next few days.
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