 Albert Memorial, London
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The Albert Memorial is a monument in Kensington Gardens, London, directly north of the Royal Albert Hall. It was commissioned by the grieving Queen Victoria in memory of her beloved husband, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha who died of typhoid in 1861.
Albert Memorial, London
Author: David Iliff (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
Albert Memorial was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in the Gothic revival style. It opened in 1872. The statue of Albert was ceremonially "seated" in 1875. It faces south under an ornate canopy and surrounded by sculptural Frieze of Parnassus depicting 169 individuals.
By the late 1990s the Memorial had fallen into disrepair, requiring a restoration effort to clean, repaint and re-gild it. During the restoration, the cross at the top of the monument was returned to its correct position.
Statue of Prince Albert by John Henry Foley and Thomas Brock
Author: James Battersby (public domain)
Following restoration, the figure of Prince Albert is now covered in gold leaf. It had been covered in black paint for the past eighty eyars. Various theories were floated as to the reason. One held that it was deliberately blackened during World War I to prevent it from becoming a target for bombing raids. However, research conducted by6 English Heritage suggested that it was simply black from air pollution that destroyed the original gold leaf.
Further restoration work on the Albert Memorial commenced in the summer of 2006. Until it is completed, there is no public access within the surrounding fence.
Getting there
Kensington Gardens
Access: Open dawn to dusk
Tube Stations: Lancaster Gate, High Street, Kensington, Queensway
Buses: 9, 10, 12
Tourist Office: Magazine Storeyard, Magazine Gate, Kensington Gardens W2 2UH
Sculpture Groups at Albert Memorial
At the four corners of Albert Memorial are groups of sculptures representing Asia, Africa, America and Europe. At the base of the memorial is another set of four sculpture groups representing Agriculture, Commerce, Engineering and Manufactures.
The Asia Group of sculptures at Albert Memorial
Author: Dudva (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
The Africa Group of sculptures at Albert Memorial
Author: Florestan (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
The Americas Group of sculptures at Albert Memorial
Author: James Battersby (public domain)
The Europe Group of sculptures at Albert Memorial
Author: Carcharoth (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
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