Almost annually several were entered in international contests; pigeons from the Royal lofts also saw active service with the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. Despite being able to spend less time at Sandringham after his accession in 1901, King Edward VII's interest in the estate never waned, and he continued to make improvements all his life. Following his death in 1910, Sandringham was left to Queen Alexandra, who continued to live in the 'Big House' in her widowhood until her death in 1925. The new King George V and Queen Mary continued to live in the much smaller York Cottage whenever they visited the estate. The First World War sowed death and destruction even in sleepy Sandringham. On 19 January 1915 Zeppelin L45 crossed the North Sea on the first raid of the war, and several bombs landed on and around the Royal estate. One of the craters filled with water; King George VI later had it enlarged and turned into a duck pond.
children married into other Royal families of Europe. [7] On December 14th 1861 Albert died from typhoid fever at Windsor Castle. Victoria remained in self-imposed seclusion for ten years. This genuine, but obsessive mourning kept her occupied for the rest of her life and played an important role in the evolution of what would become the Victorian mentality. [6] She had lost a devoted husband and her principal trusted adviser in affairs of state. For the rest of her reign she wore black. Widowhood Until the late 1860s she rarely appeared in public; although she never neglected her official Correspondence, and continued to give audiences to her ministers and official visitors, she was reluctant to resume a full public life. [7] Victoria's isolation from the public greatly diminished the popularity of the monarchy, and even encouraged the growth of the republican movement. Although she did perform her
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