It was on March 2nd, back in 1882 when Queen Victoria survived a seventh assassination attempt. As a Queen she ruled during a period when Britain’s empire was at its height, and her country experienced great changes, but she wasn’t adored by all. The very first attempt on her life occurred on June 10th 1840 at a parade near Hyde Park when an unemployed eighteen-year-old fired a pistol at the Queen and missed from a short distance.
The second attempt was on May 29th 1842, The Queen and Prince Albert were in a carriage when a potential assassin took a shot, but the gun failed to fire. He escaped only to take another shot the following evening, but once again failed. The fourth attempt occurred on July 3rd 1842 as the Queen left Buckingham Palace by carriage. Unfortunately a gentleman named John William Bean attempted to take her life. He got close and pulled the trigger of his pistol, but luck was on Victoria’s side and the gun failed to fire again.
The fifth attempt on the Queen’s life was made by William Hamilton on June 29th 1849, but thankfully the gun was only loaded with gunpowder, and lacked the bullet that would have ended her life. He wanted to kill her as he was angered by Britain’s attempts to help Ireland during the Irish famine. The sixth attempt occurred on February 29th 1872. A man named Arthur O’Connor, managed to get into the palace entrance past the courtyard undetected and armed with a pistol but he was caught.
