The Albert Memorial

The Albert Memorial stands here as a monumental ciborium, a structure traditionally reserved for the high altar of a church, which reflects the immense reverence Queen Victoria held for her late husband. After Prince Albert died of typhoid fever at the age of forty-two, the Queen sought a grand tribute to commemorate his dedication to public life. The architect George Gilbert Scott designed this elaborate Gothic Revival pavilion to house a seated figure of the Prince, who is depicted holding the catalogue of the 1851 Great Exhibition, an event he championed. The memorial reaches one hundred and seventy-six feet into the air, topped by a spire adorned with golden statues of virtues and angels, creating a dramatic silhouette that has defined this edge of Kensington Gardens since it was unveiled in 1872.