Queen Victoria married Prince Albert Saxe-Coburg-Gotha in 1840.
In 1861, at the age of 42, Prince Albert died of typhoid,
leaving Queen Victoria a young, heartbroken widow.

The Queen commissioned the Albert Memorial in memory of her late beloved husband.
The architect, Sir Gilbert Scott, designed the memorial in 1872.
It took 4 years to complete and cost £120,000. To give you an idea of the value in those years, a recent restoration (1994 - 1998) of the memorial cost over £10 million.

Located in Kensington Gardens, opposite The Royal Albert Hall,
it is a huge, extremely ornate structure, measuring 175 feet (53 metres) in height.

The figure of a seated Prince Albert is made of gilded bronze and stands 14 feet high, it is sheltered by a canopy decorated with mosaic art and is supported by pillars weighing 17 tons each.

The memorial has another 169 statues decorating it.
The corners on the podium have large statues representing Agriculture, Manufacture, Commerce & Engineering.

There are a further four corners at the base of the steps leading up to the main statue, each with statues, this time representing Africa, Asia, America & Europe.

Above the statue of Prince Albert are more statues representing faith, hope, charity & humility.

There is a frieze all around the podium depicting famous men through the ages, including Michelangelo.

The whole memorial is fenced off with an ornate fence finished in mauve & gold.

Information researched at various sources
& written by L. Marsh