The official opening of Parliament of 1866 marked the first time that Queen Victoria had taken part in any official royal function since the death of her husband, Prince Albert, in December 1861. She had spent the intervening four years in virtual seclusion. She did not wear state robes, however, and the official "Queen's Speech" was read by the Lord Chancellor. (By John Osborne)
Source Citation
"Chronicle," The Annual Register: A Review of Public Events at Home and Abroard for the Year 1866 (London: F. & J. Rivington, 1867), 10-12.