Key dates in Victoria's reign and the postal service

1837

Victoria becomes Queen

Rowland Hill suggests idea of a standard penny postage rate

1838

The opening of new lines allows direct rail travel from London to Preston

The launch of the first Travelling Post Office between Birmingham and Liverpool speeds the delivery of the mail

Brunel's Great Western steam ship crosses the Atlantic carrying the post

1839

Postal Reforms are agreed by Parliament

75.9 million letters sent during the year

1840

Queen Victoria marries Prince Albert of Saxe Coburg-Gotha

The Penny Black is issued on 6 May, following the introduction of Universal Penny Postage on 10 January

168.8 million letters sent during the year

The Mulready pre-paid  envelope is introduced

1846

The last London-based Mail Coach leaves for Norwich

1851

The Great Exhibition

1852

The first British pillar boxes are erected on Jersey

1854

Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean War

1855

The first London pillar boxes appear

1857

London is divided into ten postal districts based on the points of the compass

1859

Charles Darwin publishes his theory of evolution

Experimentation with stamp cancelling machines, as volume of mail continues to rise

1861

American Civil War, to 1865

Post Office Savings Bank opens

Prince Albert dies

1863

London Underground opens to the public

The Post Office experiments with an underground pneumatic railway between Euston Station and Eversholt Street

1870

Franco-German War, to 1871

The Post Office is given control of the telegraph service

The Education Act – 5,000 new schools open in Britain over four years

Postcards are introduced

867 million letters sent during the year

75 million postcards sent during the year

1871

'Pillar Box Red' introduced as national standard colour for posting boxes

1876

Alexander Graham Bell invents the telephone

Britain gains control of the Suez Canal

1877

Victoria is crowned Empress of India

1880

First Boer War (Transvaal War) begins, to 1881

Postal Orders are introduced

1883

Parcel Post is introduced - 'letter carrriers' become 'postmen'

1894

Picture postcards are now permitted

1.8 billion letters sent during the year

314.5 million postcards sent during the year

1899

Second Boer War begins, to 1902

1901

Queen Victoria dies

2.3 billion letters sent during the year

419 million postcards sent during the year

150th Anniversary of Queen Victoria's Accession issue, 8 September 1987

The young Victoria

The married Victoria

The widowed Victoria

The ageing Victoria