The memorial is Grade I listed and the
entry at the English Heritage website [visit
link] tells us:
"Prince Consort National Memorial
(Albert Memorial). GV I Memorial. 1862 to 1875. George Gilbert Scott, with
sculpture and other decorations by numerous Victorian artists and craftsmen.
Granite, marble, limestone and metal. Square decoratively paved podium reached
by steps to south; superimposed podia with steps to all sides, surmounted by
ciborium-like canopy with clustered granite columns to four corners. Elaborate
sculptured spire. Giant seated figure of Prince Albert within. Gables to all
sides with pinnacles between. Richly sculptured band to base breaking outward at
corners to support sculptured groups representing the industrial arts:-
Agriculture, Manufacture, Commerce and Engineering. Further sculptured groups to
four corners of stepped podium representing Europe, Asia, Africa and America,
and linked by elaborate railings. Monument enriched with much figure and other
sculpture and decorated also in numerous other techniques including mosaic,
enamel, etc."
The Royal Parks website [visit
link] tells us:
"The Albert Memorial
Prince Albert - Queen Victoria's
husband - died of typhoid fever at the age of 42. Soon after his death it was
determined that a national memorial be created to recognise the British public's
deep sense of loss.
Influenced by the series of 13th
Century Eleanor Crosses (Charing Cross perhaps being the most famous) and other
statues in Edinburgh and Manchester, the Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens
is one of the grandest high-Victorian gothic extravaganzas
anywhere.
Officially titled the Prince Consort
National Memorial, it celebrates Victorian achievement and Prince Albert's
passions and interests. Marble figures representing Europe, Asia, Africa and
America stand at each corner of the memorial, and higher up are further figures
representing manufacture, commerce, agriculture and engineering. Yet further up,
near the top, are gilded bronze statues of the angels and
virtues.
All around the base of the memorial
the Parnassus frieze depicts celebrated painters, poets sculptors, musicians and
architects, reflecting Albert's enthusiasm for the arts. There are 187
exqusitely carved figures in the frieze, and the tour gives you exclusive access
inside the memorial railings, so you can appreciate the craftsmanship up
close.
Learn more about this fantastic
monument by taking a guided tour.
Public tours
Public tours take place on the first
Sunday of the month from March to December. Tours start at 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm.
Tours cost £6.00, concessions £5.00
(includes English Heritage members). There is no need to book unless you are a
group.
Group tours
Groups of up to 15 can be
accommodated on the standard public tour (see above) by prior arrangement.
Groups can also be given their own exclusive tour at almost any time during park
opening hours. Exclusive tours cost £155 for a group of any size up to 25
people.
Please make your group booking in
advance by calling +44 (0)20 7936 2568.
Payment
Most people pay the guide on the
day, just before the tour starts. You may also pay by credit card
(Visa/Mastercard/Eurocard) by calling +44 (0)20 7936 2568. Credit card bookings
are subject to a 3% handling charge.
General information
All tours last 45-50 minutes. Please
meet directly in front of the memorial, on the side closest to the road and the
Albert Hall.
Did you know? German bomber and
Zeppelin pilots used to use the Memorial as a landmark in the First World
War."
The Spartacus Educational website [visit link] gives a
brief biography of Prince Albert:
"Albert, the younger son of the Duke
of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was born at Schloss Rosenau in 1819.
Albert 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."