Prince Albert Memorial: A soaring reminder of love in Kensington Gardens

The Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens, London, soars at 176 feet (54 meters). It's a soaring reminder of the love Queen Victoria had for her husband, Prince Albert, who passed away in 1861. A committee of architects, including Sir George Gilbert Scott, was appointed to design the memorial, with Scott overseeing the project. The original statue of Prince Albert, sculpted by Baron Carlo Marochetti, was rejected and finished by John Henry Foley after Marochetti’s death.

The memorial has been Grade I listed since 1970. Visitors can also marvel at the intricate sculptural frieze, named 'Parnassus', which features the work of Henry Hugh Armstead and John Birnie Philip. The monument cost £120,000 to build, a sum equivalent to about £15,000,000 in 2025, and was funded by public subscription.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons