Albert Memorial, London

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
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Albert_Memorial,_London_-_May_2008.jpg
Author: David Iliff


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
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Albert_Memorial_-_Main_Figure.jpg
Author: James Battersby


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
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Albert_Memorial_Asia_Group.jpg
Author: Dudva


The Africa Group of sculptures at Albert Memorial
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Albert_Memorial_African_Group.JPG
Author: Florestan


The Americas Group of sculptures at Albert Memorial
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Albert_Memorial_-_Americas_Group.jpg
Author: James Battersby


The Europe Group of sculptures at Albert Memorial
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Europe_group_(Albert_Memorial).jpg
Author: Carcharoth

List of Monuments in London

 Latest updates on Penang Travel Tips

 Discover with Timothy YouTube Channel

 PG Food Channel

 Learn Penang Hokkien YouTube Channel

SojiMart Videos

Latest from Discover with Timothy: Gurney Bay - what to see and do there

About this website

Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.

Robbie's Roadmap