Page 22 - BBC History - September 2017

Victoria and Albert’s marriage

fter the sudden and tragic hierarchy, Prince Albert was Victoria’s poor
death of Prince Albert in relation, although the two were first cousins.
1861, the grief-stricken But what he lacked in rank and wealth, he
Queen Victoria dedicated made up for with education and self-confi-
herself to memorialising dence, and he had been trained from his teens
her marriage as a perfect by King Leopold of Belgium, the cousins’
Aunion. She herself mutual uncle, to marry Victoria and take over
composed large parts of the first biography, the British throne.
The Early Years of the Prince Consort (1867). Albert began his quest for power immedi-
At Frogmore, the royal burial ground ately after the marriage. Within months he
at Windsor, she built a mausoleum and had moved his writing desk next to the
commissioned the sculptor Marochetti to queen’s. At first, Victoria resisted Albert’s
create effigies of herself and the prince lying attempts to remove her trusted governess,
side-by-side – though it would be another 40 Baroness Lehzen, from control of the court.
years before she would take her place beside But as one pregnancy followed another in
her beloved Albert. Thanks, in part, to the quick succession – seven of Victoria’s nine
queen’s efforts, her marriage to Albert, prince children were born in the first 10 years of the
of the German duchy of Saxe-Coburg and marriage – the queen was in no condition to
Gotha, came to be seen as one of the great love resist. Albert fired Lehzen and assumed Victoria and Albert
matches of all time, celebrated (with varying control of the household, introducing pictured in 1854.
degrees of accuracy) in films such as The much-needed reforms and economies. The prince’s grip on
power grew through-
Young Victoria and, more recently, the ITV out their marriage
drama Victoria. King in all but name
As Queen Victoria’s journal shows, from In November 1840, when her first child was
the moment she saw the prince arriving at the born, Victoria gave Albert the key to the politics, and only assistant in her communi-
foot of the staircase at Windsor in 1839, she cabinet boxes. He started to attend meetings cations with the officers of her government,
was smitten. Five days later she summoned with ministers, dealing with the queen’s he is, besides, the husband of the queen, the
him to her blue closet and proposed to him. correspondence and drafting business letters tutor of the royal children, the private
But the marriage was not the romantic for the queen to copy out. At dinners with secretary of the sovereign, and her permanent
happy-ever-after story that Victoria con- politicians, Albert could be heard prompting minister.” Not only was Albert king in all but
structed. It was far more complex than that. Victoria in German before she spoke. By now name but he intervened in politics, pursuing
Like all dynastic marriages, this was an he had become her private secretary. an active role in foreign policy.
alliance with a political agenda. As the second In 1850 he described his position thus: Victoria declared herself grateful to Albert GETTY IMAGES/BRIDGEMAN
son of a minor German duke (Coburg is “As the natural head of [the queen’s] family, for relieving her of the tiresome work of the
smaller than the Isle of Wight) and a mere superintendent of her household, manager of sovereign. Women, she believed, were not fit
Serene Highness, the lowest grade in the royal her private affairs, sole confidential adviser in to rule. “It is a reversal of the right order of

Victoria and Albert’s highs and lows

10 October 15 October 10 February 21 November 9 November
1839 1839 1840 1840 1841 1842

Prince Albert of Victoria, who Victoria and Albert Vicky, Victoria’s first Birth of Albert Baroness Lehzen
Saxe-Coburg- considers that Albert are married at the child, is born. Edward (Bertie), (above), Victoria’s
Gotha, aged 20, “is beautiful” and Chapel Royal, Around this time, Prince of Wales. former governess,
arrives at Windsor declares that “My St James’s. Victoria gives Albert This is followed by who has been
on a visit to Queen heart is quite going”, the keys to the the birth of Alice, charged with the
Victoria, his first proposes to Albert. cabinet boxes. 25 April 1843; Alfred, running of the court,
cousin, three months She tells no one 6 August 1844; is dismissed. Albert
older than him. beforehand, except Helena, 25 May takes over and
the prime minister, 1846; Louise, introduces important
Lord Melbourne. 18 March 1848; and reforms, making the
Arthur, 1 May 1850. court more efficient
In total, that’s seven and cutting waste.
children in 10 years.

Queen Victoria and
Prince Albert in
court dress, 1854

22 BBC History Magazine