Between 1840-1882, eight men tried to strike Queen Victoria in public. Obviously, none of them succeeded, thanks to the inaccuracy of smooth bore pistols and their own incompetence, although one whacked her on the head with a walking stick. What they did succeed in moving was the social and legal system of Great Britain. In the new, less powerful and more accessible monarchy, the old treason penalties for lese majesty seemed inappropriate for pathetic stalkers, so the courts had to evolve new shaming and transportation punishments, or lock up the perpetrators as criminally or ordinarily insane (a similar attack on Peel's secretary led to the M'Naghten rule). Meanwhile, Victoria's calm bravery and refusal to stay locked up in the palaces under guard stirred protective instincts in the public and restored the tarnished reputation of the Royal Family and allowed Albert a free hand to streamline and reorganize the royal household for efficiency and security.