Jake10

Aside from Albert's death, the problems with her mother and children made the queen go into seclusion. There are rumors about John Brown being intimate with Queen Victoria and helping her regain her motivation, but that has not been proven. So, what made her bounce back?

Lawnmowerman

I'd say John Brown, even though it has never been proven that their relationship was sexual it is clear that they cared deeply for one another.

He gave her hope after she felt all was lost, devoting herself to male figures became a common triat for Victoria first Albert, then John and finally Abdul (The Munshi)

amberroberts09

Look here...

Naomasa298

Where does that quote come from?

Sankari

Alcohol. She drank an absolutely insane amount of alcohol.

Jake10

Is this true? I've come across rumors that she used drugs, but that's all they seem to be, rumors. What is your reference?

Sankari

It was a joke.

But I wouldn't be surprised if it was true. She appears to have had a severely depressive personality, which is often linked with substance abuse/chemical dependency. If it wasn't alcohol, it could have been any number of alternatives. Psychology was still in its infancy, so professional support would have been negligible.

Ancientgeezer

All Victorians liberally used Laudanum, opium dissolved in alcohol. The period between 1830 and 1910 is now known as the "Great Binge".
The drug was available in a variety of strengths and flavours and was used for everything from baby-gripe, to diarrhoea, to headaches to serious illness. For the rich it was medicine, for the poor it was a Satuday-Night blot-out as with 38% alcohol and no tax it was cheaper than gin.
Victoria certainly used Laudinum for period pains and for depression after childbirth, so using it for depression after Albert's death is quite likely and may explain her total inability to discharge her duties for many years.
Across the Atlantic, Lincoln also knocked back a few drops as a sleeping draught and his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln became an addict when using it to cure her constant headaches.

Jake10

Hmm, so the rumors are true...

Louise C

Albert's death was a crushing blow, but she gradually recovered her interest in life and her sense of humour. John Brown was certainly a help, she enjoyed his common sense and down to earth manners (though I doubt their relationship was sexual). Her youngest daughter Beatrice also provided much amusement, she was only four years old when her father died, and seems to have been very bright and lively.

In 'Queen Victoria was Amused' Alan hardy quotes from some people who saw her in the years after Albert's death:

'There was' reported a new Maid of Honour 'much more conversation than I had expected; the Queen talking and laughing cheerfully. She and the Dean spoke about sermons and Presbyterian preachers: and the Dean made no bones of making occasional hits at the Scotch reverences, which the Queen took as a good joke.' A visiting German professor discovered that her worship of the Prince Consort did not extend to his tiresome brother. Indeed, 'with womanly wit and womanly penetration she made unspairing merriment over the Duke, his variable quixotic disposition'. More amusing company than most was Landseer the painter. 'The Queen, in high force, talked all dinner time, and was highly amused at Landseer's anecdotes about his animals etc.' During a stay at Balmoral she was herself persuaded to take up her artistic interests again, though the extraordinary way she chose to do this, according to one of those present, shows that a certain degree of eccentricity now characterised her behaviour.

When the place selected for sketching was reached, the Queen seated herself in the middle of the country-road, with a round stone from the Dee as a rest for her paint-box, Lady Churchill holding an umbrella to shade the Queen's eyes. Princess Louise sat on a stone a little farther away, while Mr Leitch attended the party as instructor, and John Brown looked after the pony. The country folk stared in astonishment as they passed by, and Her majesty heartily enjoyed the fun, and seemed to revive a little of her lost animation.

So very gradually she broadened her lifestyle. In 1866 she attended a dance at Windsor for the first time in nearly five years. 'looking on with real amusement'. Two years later she made the first of the pleasure jaunts abroad that she was to enjoy for the rest of her life. She stayed at the Pension Wallace in Lucerne. Here it was that Henry Ponsonby proved that she still had her old belly-laugh. One evening at dinner the royal phyisican, Dr jenner, was describing his expedition up the mountains in the company of an exeedingly plain German governess. Ponsonby, who had a gift for provoking laughter, then joined in the conversation.

I simply asked what the tourists thought of their relationship. He replied 'Oh of course they thought she was Madame' which created some laughter. Then he added 'The guide was very decided and made us give up the horses we rode up and come down in a chair.'
'What?' I asked 'Both in one chair?' Well, there was nothing odd in this - but everyone laughed. I turned to Miss Bids. She was purple. On the other side I tried to speak to Princess Louise. She was choking. I looked across to Jenner. He was convulsed. Of course this was too much. I gave way, we all had a fou rire till the tears ran down my cheeks which set off the Queen. I never saw her laugh so much. She said afterwards it was my face.