Albert Memorial

I den sydlige del af Kensington Gardens ligger et monument, som Dronning Victoria i 1872 fik rejst til ære for sin afdøde mand, Prins Albert, der døde i 1861 som 42 årig af tyfus. Albert var tysk prins og dronningens fætter. De nåede at være gift i 21 år og fik 9 børn. Monumentet er tegnet af arkitekten George Gilbert Scott, som har tegnet mere end 800 bygningsværker i England. Det er i neogotisk stil og 54 m højt. Det tog 10 år at bygge og kostede £120.000.

Officielt hedder monumentet: Prince Consort National Memorial. En 4 m høj forgyldt statue viser Prins Albert siddende under en bjergtop, mens han holder et katalog fra udstillingen: The Great Exhibition of the works of industry of all nations, som blev afholdt i Hyde Park i 1851, hvor prinsen var en af arrangørerne.

Nederst er en frise, hvor der er afbilledet 187 mennesker i marmor: malere, skulptører, musikere og arkitekter, da Prins Albert holdt meget af kunst. Oven på frisen i hvert hjørne er der 4 figurer, som repræsenterer Prins Alberts interesser: fremstilling, handel, landbrug og teknik.

Nær toppen af monumentet er figurer af engle, og øverst sidder et stort kors.

Nedenfor de trapper, som fører op til statuen af Prins Albert, står der 4 skulpturer, som symboliserer Europa, Asien, Afrika og Amerika.

 Europa

Amerika

I 1915 blev den forgyldte statue af Prins Albert malet sort for ikke at tiltrække sig unødig opmærksomhed under 1. verdenskrig. Først i 1998 blev statuen igen forgyldt.

Ganske passende er monumentet beliggende tæt på stedet for Den Store Udstilling og lige overfor The Royal Albert Hall, som blev indviet i 1871.

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In Kensington Gardens there is a monument of Prince Albert, Queen Victorias consort, who died in 1861 of typhoid. Albert was a German prince and the queen's cousin. They were married for 21 years and had 9 children. The monument was designed by the architect George Gilbert Scott, who designed more than 800 buildings in England. It is in a gothic revival style and 54 m high. It took 10 years to build it and cost £ 120 000.

The official name of the monument is: Prince Consort National Memorial. A 4 m high gilded statue shows Prince Albert sitting under a mountain top while holding a catalog from the exhibition: The Great Exhibition of the works of industry of all nations, held in Hyde Park in 1851. The prince was one of the organizers of the exhibition.

At the bottom of the monument is a frieze with 187 people in marble: painters, sculptors musicians and architects, Prince Albert was very fond of art. In the corners on top of the frieze there are 4 figures who represent Prince Albert's interests: manufacturing, trade, agriculture and engineering.
Near the top of the monument there are figures of angels.
Below the stairs that lead up to the statue of Prince Albert, there is four sculptures symbolizing Europe, Asia, Africa and America.

In 1915 the gilded statue of Prince Albert was painted black to avoid becoming a target during World War 1. In 1998 the monument was restored and the statue of Prince Albert was reglided.

Albert's memorial was appropriately erected opposite the Royal Albert Hall, near the location of the Exhibition of 1851.