What Is the Albert Memorial?
This is a grand, gilded, Gothic memorial to Prince Albert!
What Makes It Historical?
Prince Albert wanted no big memorials in his honor after he died, even as a reformer who championed modern university courses, emancipation of both enslaved and Jewish folks, morality in the monarchy, and the Great Exhibition of 1851! So, needless to say, when the royal consort to Queen Victoria succumbed to typhoid fever on December 14, 1861, he did not get his final wish. Monuments and memorials went up all over the British Empire!
This was a memorial built on memorials, partly because its directors, General Charles Grey and Sir Charles Phipps, both died during planning! Then the head of the Prince Consort Memorial Committee, Sir Charles Lock Eastlake, also died during planning! You might think Charles a pretty unlucky name at this time, but multiple architects also died while building the Albert Memorial, including Baron Carlo Marochetti, who sculpted the first draft statue of Prince Albert, and John Henry Foley, who sculpted the final 14-foot statue!
Despite the many deaths that went into commemorating one death, the Prince Albert Memorial was officially opened by Queen Victoria in July of 1872 with the statue of Albert added in 1876. Designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, the monument overall is a Gothic Revival ciborium, or canopy usually found over an altar, that covers the seated, gilt bronze statue of Prince Albert. In his hand is the catalogue of the Great Exhibition of 1851, and below him is the sculpted Frieze of Parnassas, depicting 169 composers, painters, poets, architects, and sculptors! At the base of the ciborium are sculptures depicting agriculture, commerce, engineering, and manufactures, while at the four exterior corners, human and animal sculptures combine to show the extent of the British Empire: Europe, Africa, America, and Asia! While blazingly golden today, it was painted black during World War II so it wouldn’t get bombed!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Volunteer with The Royal Parks!
- Donate to The Royal Parks!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
Kensington Gardens
NW corner of Kensington Gore and W Carriage Drive
London W2 2UH
United Kingdom
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
Whenever the mood strikes you!
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