Prince Albert: Marriages are the most memorable and auspicious day of everyone’s life. And this had been true for Queen Victoria and her husband Albert as well. Both were born in the same year, 1819 – Victoria on the 24th of May and Albert on the 26th of August.
Their early life was obviously majestic and their journey together was destined to occur when the Queen had set her eyes on her husband for the first time. The Queen had adored the Saxon prince for a long time before they eventually got married on the 10th of February 1940.
The two of them had a very happy and prosperous married life until the death of Albert at an unexpected age.
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Prince Albert
Prince Albert was born as the second son of the first wife to the reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. The Saxon princes were closely associated and their names were immortalized in the European history. Prince Albert was definitely one of them.
As a young child, Albert was very delicate and nervous and had a beautiful countenance. The young Prince did have rigorous training in various subjects that included languages, sciences, literature, music, and politics.
The prince also had a good physical and moral training and all of this education added to the wisdom of the prince. Prince Albert also made many travels, especially through Austria, Germany, and Holland and that added to his vast knowledge.
Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria was born as the daughter of Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent and Strathearn, who was the fourth son of King George III of the United Kingdom. Both the Duke of Kent and King George III had died in 1820 and she was raised by her German mother, Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.
Queen Victoria inherited the throne of England since there was no other legitimate heir to the throne. She had been the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. She had also earned the title of Empress of India on May 1, 1876.
The Royal Courtship
All royal courtships draw excitement, curiosity, and attention, and it was not any different for the pair. There are many fascinating tails of the courtship between Queen Victoria and Prince Albert from the time they first met. Though the two have been related as first cousins, they had fallen in love at their first meeting and the marriage was somewhat inevitable.
Incidents Leading up to the Marriage
The Duke of Coburg, along with his two sons, Prince Albert and Prince Ernest, paid a visit to England in May 1836. They had spent about four weeks at Kensington Palace with the Duchess of Kent.
The distinguished visitors were spending their days at Windsor and also met the members of the royal family in England. They visited the chief attractions of the country with the Duchess of Kent and her daughter.
When Prince Albert returned to his home in England, he received a smiling welcome from a smiling portrait of his fair cousin, the young Queen of England. The Queen had sent her portrait and asked it to be placed such that it was the first thing for him to see on his return.
In October that year, Albert visited England for the third time. The Queen could shower more affections on her young cousin this time around. The dinners would be occasionally followed by dances. The young Queen Victoria danced with Prince Albert. On one occasion, during the Castle ball, the queen presented Albert with a bouquet.
The prince was dressed in a uniform jacket fastened to the chin with the no buttonhole to hold the bouquet. Albert was quick-witted and was willing to return the favor. He seized a penknife and slit a hole in the dress to position the royal flowers close to his heart.
The Royal Marriage
It was actually the Queen who proposed her love for Prince Albert. The engagement took place on the 15th of October, 1839. The royal marriage took place on the 10th of February. Prince Albert arrived at Buckingham Palace with his father and elder brother. The Prince gifted her a beautiful brooch studded with a beautiful sapphire and diamond.
The Majesty gave the Star and Badge of the Garter, set in diamonds. The wedding ceremony drew much attraction and was celebrated with much pomp. The wedding took place at St. James. The royal wedding was given much acclamation throughout the kingdom.
Albert had to move to England to marry Victoria and never lived in Germany after that. The couple had a beautiful married life and had nine children, with Queen Victoria quickly getting pregnant with their first daughter, Victoria, after their marriage.
Albert became the Prince Consort of the kingdom and dedicated himself a lot to the prosperity of the land. Albert died at an immature age of 42, giving Queen Victoria a lot of grief. The story of the couple had surely been an interesting one and their example is sure to be one of importance.
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