“An Offence New in Its Kind”: Responses to Assassination Attempts on British Royalty, 1800–1900

Abstract Attempted assassinations have only rarely been given sustained and systematic attention by historians. This article focuses on a series of attempts to assassinate members the British royal family across nineteenth century. In exploring responses political elites wider publics these attacks, author argues for development robust enduring script with which navigate physical attacks sovereign his or her family. Overall, this tended support monarchy articulating visions proper relationship between crown people contrasting regimes in Europe elsewhere. It also, however, served highlight some key tensions within modernizing institution accessibility publicity one hand security other.