42 Romantic Facts About Prince Albert, Victoria's Royal Consort
Few men in the history of the British Royal Family have ever been remembered as positively as Prince Albert, who was married to Queen Victoria during his life and served as her royal consort.
While Victoria’s long reign saw her popularity rise and fall dramatically, Albert’s reputation was far more consistently lauded before and after his passing.
You might be wondering why that is, and what Albert did that has kept him in such a lofty position in British history. Here are 42 facts about Prince Albert.
1. Quite the Mouthful
Albert’s full name, in its original German, was Franz Albert August Karl Emmanuel. This has also been translated into English: Francis Albert Augustus Charles Emmanuel.
2. Keeping it in the Family
The original idea for Albert to marry his cousin, Victoria, was first documented in a letter from Albert’s grandmother in 1821. However, the actual meeting of the two cousins was arranged by their mutual uncle.
Leopold was the King of the Belgians and he pushed for his sister—Victoria’s mother—to invite Albert over for a visit. He and his family came over to see their relatives in May 1836.
3. Oh No You Don’t!
One person who was opposed to Albert and Victoria marrying was Victoria’s paternal uncle, King William IV of Britain and Ireland.
By that time, Victoria was his heir, and William very much preferred a marriage between her and the second son of the Prince of Orange, named Alexander.
4. Welcome to the World
Albert was born on August 26, 1819 just outside of Coburg, Germany. He was the second son of Ernest III, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, and Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. Oh, those German nobles with their three hyphenated properties!
