Queen Victoria And Her Soldiers

: True Stories Of Wonderful Deeds

Queen Victoria was always proud of her brave soldiers. In time of war,

she gave orders that news of them was to be sent to her every day, and

when the generals returned home, they were commanded to visit her, and

to tell her of the bravery of the troops.



During the long war with the Russians in the Crimea, the British

soldiers suffered greatly from the freezing winds, and rain, and snow,

of that cold land When Queen Victoria heard of this, she and her

children worked with their own hands to make warm clothing for them. A

great many of the wounded and sick men were sent home in ships, to be

nursed in the English hospitals, and the Queen paid several visits to

the poor fellows as they lay there. Moving from one bed to another, she

cheered them with hopeful words, and listened gladly to their stories of

the battles in which they had fought. When she saw that the hospitals

were crowded, and not very comfortable, she told Parliament that better

ones ought to be provided, and after a time this was done, and the fine

hospital of Netley was built, of which the Queen laid the first stone.



Once, Queen Victoria herself gave medals to some wounded and disabled

soldiers who had fought very bravely. Some of these men could not raise

their arms to salute their queen; some could not walk, but had to be

wheeled in chairs to her side; but all were proud to receive their

medals of honour from her hands.



"Noble fellows," she wrote of them afterwards, "I feel as if they were

my own children."