Royal Titles Bill

On 27 April 1876, parliament passed the Royal Titles Bill. The Royal Titles Act was "An Act to enable Her most Gracious Majesty to make an addition to the Royal Style and Titles appertaining to the Imperial Crown of the United Kingdom and its Dependencies." There was considerable resistance in Parliament and in the press, since the title emperor/empress was deemed un-English and associated with Britain's competitors Russia and Germany (Wilhelm I was elevated to Emperor on 18 January 1871 during the Franco-Prussian War, which may have provoked Victoria to want this title, too). Image: The Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.