8. Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria had a very long and successful reign as Queen of the British empire, but it was a reign that did not come easy. There are seven known attempts to assassinate the Queen that occurred throughout her long reign and the Queen took every attempt in stride and refused to live in fear of them. She did, however, change English law to better protect herself and others.
The first attempt came soon after she took the throne when a man rushed her carriage with a gun. He claimed that he was the rightful king of Britain, the Queen disagreed and had him sent to an insane asylum. In 1840, a waiter who refused to live in a Britain ruled by a woman, shot at the pregnant Queen and Prince Albert. He was also sent to an insane asylum.
One of the most daring attempts was in 1842 when a man shot at the Queen as she returned home from Church. He escaped and but was determined and returned the next day and fired again. The Queen then insisted she be used as bait to lure out the assassin. One his next try he was arrested by police and sentenced to death, but his punishment was reduced to deportation to an Australian penal colony. A mere five weeks later a hunchbacked dwarf fired upon the Queen. She lived and he escaped, but police were able to find him by arresting every hunchbacked dwarf in the city.
Several more men attempted to shoot her and one even hit her with his cane, bruising her. But the Queen never let the attempts affect her or her duty to the crown. After several attempts by crazy men, she made it law that an insane person could be found guilty of a crime.