Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
• Find a statue of a happy couple, titled
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in Anglo-Saxon
Dress.
Flanking the statue are paintings of...
Queen Victoria (1819-1901) and Prince Albert (1819-1861)
Crowned at 18, the short (5 feet), plump, bug-eyed, quiet girl inherited a world empire. The
next year, she proposed marriage (the custom) to the German Prince Albert. They were a
perfect match—lovers, friends, and partners—a model for middle-class couples. (See the
white statue of the pair as genteel knight and adoring lady.) Albert co-ruled, especially
when “Vickie” was pregnant with their nine kids. “Bertie” promoted education, science,
public works, and the Great Exhibition of 1851 in Hyde Park. When Albert died at 42, a
heartbroken Victoria moped for 40 years. (For more on Victoria, see the sidebar on
here
.)
•
Double back through the long hall lined with stuffy busts of starched shirts (Room 22),
browsing around the rooms branching off it. These rooms are filled with many prominent
Victorians. Start with Room 23 and...
