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One of Queen Victoria's grandchildren was Prince Waldemar of Prussia, who died aged 11 in 1879 of diphtheria. He was a family favourite by all accounts, and was interested in science and nature, keeping mineral and animal specimens in the Swiss Cottage at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.

There is a story (undated, unfortunately, but if it happened it presumably occurred in the late 1870s) about one visit to Britain, when he was staying with his grandmother, Queen Victoria.

During one visit, Waldemar gave his grandmother quite a scare. The Queen was working on some papers in her room and when she looked up she saw a small crocodile staring at her. Naturally she screamed and all within hearing came running. Waldemar had let Bob, his pet crocodile, out of his box. In fits of laughter, Waldemar retrieved his crocodile and order was restored.

One hopes the young fellow was only allowed to keep a particularly small crocodile as a pet. But still, what if it had made a dash for a quick meal and bitten Queen Victoria to death before she was able to scream or before anyone could reach her? What would be the ramifications of her death on the British political scene, on the culture of colonialism, and on Anglo-German relations?
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