Queen Victoria survived at least seven separate assassination attempts during her reign, most of which were carried out by teenagers armed with incredibly poorly maintained pocket pistols.

A closer look

Queen Victoria survived at least seven separate assassination attempts during her reign, most of which were carried out by teenagers armed with incredibly poorly maintained pocket pistols. One kid literally shot at her just to get arrested because he wanted to be famous, while another was a hunchback who just hated everything. Instead of hiding in fear, the Queen became increasingly annoyed by the constant gunfire, often casually taking carriage rides specifically to bait the shooters out into the open so the police could tackle them. It is a fascinating testament to nineteenth-century royal stubbornness and also highlights that edgy, clout-chasing youths with terrible aim have been a menace to society long before the invention of the internet