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Queen Victoria's Deep Grief on Husband Revealed in New Notes

Sketches by Queen Victoria and writing is seen in one of her journals on display at a special exhibition celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria which marks this year's Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace in London. REUTERS/Toby Melville
Sketches by Queen Victoria and writing is seen in one of her journals on display at a special exhibition celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria which marks this year's Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace in London. REUTERS/Toby Melville
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Queen Victoria's Deep Grief on Husband Revealed in New Notes

Sketches by Queen Victoria and writing is seen in one of her journals on display at a special exhibition celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria which marks this year's Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace in London. REUTERS/Toby Melville
Sketches by Queen Victoria and writing is seen in one of her journals on display at a special exhibition celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria which marks this year's Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace in London. REUTERS/Toby Melville

British royal documents including Queen Victoria's heart-wrenching, handwritten account of her husband Prince Albert's death have been shared online, offering a firsthand account of her overwhelming grief.

Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 until her death in 1901. She and German-born Albert had nine children before he died of typhoid in 1861 at age 42.

She writes that, as he passed away, she "kissed his dear heavenly forehead and called out in a bitter and agonizing cry: 'Oh! My dear Darling!' then dropped on my knees in mute, distracted despair, unable to utter a word or shed a tear." For the rest of her reign, she wore black.

Images of Victoria's leather-bound notebook and its handwritten pages have been uploaded as part of thousands of documents and photos on the website www.albert.rct.uk that went online Friday to mark next week's 200th anniversary of Albert's birth.

Helen Trompeteler, project manager for the website, said Victoria's account of Albert's death, has been available to scholars before, but is being made public in full for the first time. "It reflects upon obviously the impact that Albert continues to have on her throughout her many extended years of mourning. And it's a testament to the remarkable partnership that they had," she added.

According to The Times, it was 10 years until Victoria could even bring herself to write about the day the love of her life died. "I have never had the courage to attempt to describe this dreadful day," Victoria wrote of Albert's death at Windsor Castle.

The profound love had always been mutual. In a letter written to Victoria on the day of their engagement, Oct. 15, 1839, Albert writes: "I can only believe that Heaven has sent down an angel to me, whose radiance is intended to brighten my life."

The three-year Prince Albert Digitization Project, which is uploading around 23,500 items from sources including Britain's Royal Collection and Royal Archives, should be finished by the end of next year.

The documents and photographs also highlight Albert's role in Victorian society, his patronage of the arts and sciences and his involvement in social causes including his outspoken opposition to slavery.

"He was certainly the most prominent member of the royal family to speak on the issue of the abolition of slavery," Trompeteler said.

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Varieties

No Trees, No Fans: Surviving Extreme Heat in India’s Salt Pans

A worker harvests salt at the Little Rann of Kutch (LRK) region of Gujarat on April 29, 2026. (AFP)
A worker harvests salt at the Little Rann of Kutch (LRK) region of Gujarat on April 29, 2026. (AFP)
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No Trees, No Fans: Surviving Extreme Heat in India’s Salt Pans

A worker harvests salt at the Little Rann of Kutch (LRK) region of Gujarat on April 29, 2026. (AFP)
A worker harvests salt at the Little Rann of Kutch (LRK) region of Gujarat on April 29, 2026. (AFP)

India faces challenging heatwaves each year, but few places endure conditions as searing as the country's western desert salt pans, where workers rely on simple techniques to survive almost unbearable temperatures.

Up to 50,000 workers in Gujarat spend eight months on the remote salt pans without electricity or healthcare, relying on a tanker to deliver drinking and washing water every 25 days.

They use shaded rest breaks, cloth-cooled water bottles and staggered hours to survive.

In Gujarat's Little Rann of Kutch summer temperatures routinely cross 45C, and can climb to 47-48C.

The same dry heat that makes life punishing also makes the desert ideal for salt production -- Gujarat produces roughly three-quarters of India's total salt output.

"We work in staggered timing... doing our work in early mornings and after sunset," said 42-year-old Babulal Narayan, who rakes the salt as brine water dries in shallow pools.

During the hottest hours, many retreat to makeshift huts -- frames of sticks draped with coarse homespun cloth, plastered with wild donkey dung.

"We sit here every two to three hours, so that we do not feel weak or dizzy," said 17-year-old salt worker Bhavna Rathore.

The dung blocks the sun and allows heat to escape, while the rough cloth allows some air to pass through, she explained.

The huts offer shelter in a landscape without trees or natural shade, and where the sun reflects harshly off the white salt crust.

- 'Heatwave' -

Kanchan Narayan, 44, uses a damp cloth-wrapped bottle hung on a string, cooling the drinking water inside via evaporation.

"The wind helps to cool the water," she said.

Poornima, a salt pan worker, sips black tea during the day -- saying the hot drink induces sweating in the dry weather to cool the body.

The salt is produced by pumping saline water from bore-wells into shallow pans, where the liquid evaporates under the sun and wind.

Workers rake the surface daily to ensure even crystallization. Over weeks, a thick crust of salt forms, which the workers break and stack into mounds.

The job has always involved enduring harsh conditions, but this year the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts an "above-normal number of heatwave days" across several regions, including Gujarat.

Workers are exposed to the heat for longer than before.

Previously, they relied on expensive diesel pumps to bring the saline water to the surface. But a switch to solar has brought down costs and allowed families to operate the pans for longer.

That means work that used to end in March now continues into the hottest months.

- 'Fever' -

The consequences for workers can be deadly, with regular reports of fatigue, dizziness and nausea -- signs of heat stress, when the body's natural cooling systems are overwhelmed.

This can cause organ failure and even death.

Several studies have found high levels of dehydration, heat stress and even signs of kidney malfunction among these communities.

"I take a paracetamol whenever fever becomes high," said Kanchan, a rare worker wearing rubber boots -- to protect against prolonged exposure to brine, that can crack skin so deep it bleeds.

India has no fixed legal temperature at which work must stop.

Instead, it relies on IMD heatwave thresholds -- around 40C for alerts and 47C for "severe" conditions -- with local authorities imposing restrictions.

The desert conditions make the extreme heat marginally more survivable -- at low humidity, sweat evaporates more quickly off the skin, cooling the body.

But conditions are growing harder, with heatwaves intensifying and unseasonal storms also threatening livelihoods.

A sudden rainstorm can dissolve crystallized salt overnight -- forcing workers to restart the evaporation cycle.

"A big dust storm hit us last month, destroying salt worth 200,000 rupees ($2,100)," Narayan said.

He and five relatives made a profit of 250,000 rupees ($2,635) -- or $450 each for eight months of hard work.

But families say they have little alternative.

"What else will we do?" said 65-year-old worker Rasoda Rathore.

"We have no land to farm, no livestock to earn our livelihood from... this is all we know."

Varieties

Saudi Arabia Elected to UN CSTD for 2027–2030 Term

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
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Saudi Arabia Elected to UN CSTD for 2027–2030 Term

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT

Members of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) elected the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) for the 2027–2030 term, the Saudi Press Agency said on Sunday.

The election reinforces the Kingdom’s international presence and its leading role in shaping global trends and policies in science, technology, and innovation.

The Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) stated that the Kingdom’s election reflects its active contribution to discussions on global issues related to emerging technologies, data governance, artificial intelligence, and support for the Sustainable Development Goals.

The commission explained that the Kingdom’s membership will contribute to monitoring implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and the Global Digital Compact (GDC), in addition to participating in developing relevant international recommendations to be submitted to the United Nations General Assembly for adoption.

It added that this achievement was realized in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reinforcing the Kingdom’s role as an active international partner within the United Nations system, particularly in the fields of communications, technology, and space.

The commission also noted that Saudi Arabia, represented by CST, chaired the 25th session of the CSTD in 2022, reflecting the Kingdom’s international standing and the global community’s confidence in its leadership in digital sectors.

Varieties

Egypt Calls for Preserving Migration Routes for Birds

Migratory birds in Sinai. Asharq Al-Awsat
Migratory birds in Sinai. Asharq Al-Awsat
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Egypt Calls for Preserving Migration Routes for Birds

Migratory birds in Sinai. Asharq Al-Awsat
Migratory birds in Sinai. Asharq Al-Awsat

Egypt has reaffirmed the importance of protecting migratory birds as the country marked World Migratory Bird Day, holding activities under the slogan “Every bird counts... your observation matters” to raise environmental awareness.

Minister of Local Development and Environment Manal Awad said Egypt represents one of the world’s most important migration corridors due to its strategic geographic location linking Europe and Africa.

Millions of birds pass through the country annually during seasonal migration periods, she stated.

According to Awad, Egypt’s coastal areas and wetlands serve as vital resting and feeding stations for migratory birds. So, she stressed the importance of nature reserves in protecting these habitats and supporting biodiversity conservation.

She also highlighted several key sites for migratory birds, including the Zaranik, Ashtoum El-Gamil, and Burullus reserves along the Mediterranean coast, in addition to Ras Mohammed and the northern Red Sea islands.

Awad pointed to the winter migratory bird census project, implemented in cooperation with the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) and the Nature Conservation Egypt association, which provides scientific data on bird populations and species diversity.

The ministry said its conservation efforts include issuing annual hunting regulations and conducting campaigns to remove illegal bird-catching nets from protected areas.

Approximately 18 kilometers of illegal nets have been removed from the Ashtoum El-Gamil and Burullus reserves.