Albert,
the younger son of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was born at Schloss
Rosenau in 1819. He was educated in Brussels and Bonn and in 1839
visited his cousin, Queen Victoria in
London. Victoria immediately fell in love
with Albert and although he initially had doubts about the relationship,
the couple were eventually married in February 1840. During the next
eighteen years Queen Victoria gave birth to nine children.
Throughout their marriage Prince Albert acted as Victoria's private
secretary. His German background, worried some of the government ministers
and Albert was therefore rarely consulted about political issues.
After the death of her favourite politician, Lord
Melbourne in 1848, Albert's political influence over Queen
Victoria increased. Whereas Melbourne had advised Victoria not
to think about social problems, Prince Albert invited Lord
Ashley to Buckingham Palace to
talk about what he had discovered about child
labour in Britain.
Albert took a keen interest in the arts and sciences and planned and
managed the Great Exhibition in 1851.
The profits of this successful venture enabled the building of the
Royal Albert Hall and the museums in South Kensington.
In 1857 Albert was given the title of Prince Consort. However, four
years later he died of typhoid fever.
The Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens, designed by Sir
George Scott, was erected in his memory in 1871.
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