Albertopolis Walking Tour: transcript - Royal Institute of British ...

7. Albert Memorial
13.37mins
The 53 metre high Albert Memorial has been a
London landmark since its unveiling in 1872.
Following the sudden death of her beloved Prince
Albert from typhoid in 1861, Queen Victoria very
quickly decided that a memorial should be built to
honour her late husband. She invited seven leading
architects to submit designs for a monument to be
built in Kensington Gardens. It was to be located just
to the north of the museums area which Albert had
helped to build up, and to the west of where the
Great Exhibition had been held.
The results of the competition were announced in
April 1863. George Gilbert Scott was the winner, with
his ornate design for a canopy or tabernacle in the
Gothic style, containing a seated statue of Albert.
Work began on constructing the memorial in 1864
and in 1872 the 176 feet or 53 metre high memorial
was opened, although it was not completely finished
until 1876. The monument cost £120,000 to build, a
large sum at the time, due in part to the luxurious
materials used and the numerous craftsmen involved.
The 24ct gold statue of Albert was completed by the
sculptor John Henry Foley. The prince is dressed as a
Knight of the Garter and is sat holding a catalogue to
the Great Exhibition of 1851. The memorial contains
many references to Albert’s interests and his work in
the field of arts and science education.
At the base of the canopy runs a frieze in which is the
following inscription:
Statue of Prince Albert, preliminary
model for the Albert Memorial,
c.1863
Copyright: V&A Images
“Queen Victoria and her people - A tribute to the memory of Albert Prince Consort –
As a Tribute of their gratitude – for a life dedicated to the public good.”
The mosaics for each side of the canopy and beneath it were designed by Clayton and Bell
and manufactured by the firm of Salviati in Venice.
The podium of the memorial is surrounded by an elaborate sculptural frieze, depicting 169
individual composers, architects, poets, painters, and sculptors, all carved by Henry Hugh
Armstead and John Birnie Philip.
At the four corners of the podium, below the statue of the prince, are allegorical marble
sculptures of agriculture, commerce, engineering and manufacturing. At the outermost
corners are allegorical stone sculptures of Europe, Asia, Africa, & the Americas, reflecting
Albert’s international concerns.
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