Queen of Great Britain and Ireland (1837–1901) and empress of India (1876–1901). She succeeded to the throne on the death of her uncle, William IV, and married her cousin Prince Albert in 1840; they had nine children. As queen she took an active interest in the policies of her ministers, although she did not align the Crown with any one political party. She largely retired from public life after Albert’s death in 1861, but lived to achieve the longest reign in British history. During her reign Britain’s power and prosperity grew enormously. Her golden jubilee (1887) and diamond jubilee (1897) were marked with popular celebration.