Timeline December 1861

Events in December 1861 2

• 1819 – 1861 Prince Albert (1819-1861) Died 14 December 1861, aged 42 Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, consort of Queen Victoria, died of typhoid fever at Windsor Castle. His death sent Victoria into decades of mourning and seclusion. He had been an influential patron of science, industry, and the arts in Britain.
• 1861 Trent Affair Diplomatic crisis between the United States and Britain A US Navy warship stopped the British mail steamer Trent and seized two Confederate diplomats bound for Europe, provoking outrage in Britain and threats of war. The crisis brought the United States and the British Empire to the brink of conflict during the Civil War. Lincoln's administration defused the affair by releasing the diplomats in late December.