Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, born Franz August Karl Albert Emanuel on 26 August 1819, was the husband and consort of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. His early life was shaped by his noble birth in the Saxon duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and his education, which included private tutoring and studies at the University of Bonn. At age 20, he married his cousin, Queen Victoria, and they had nine children. Although his role as consort initially felt limiting, Albert eventually became influential in supporting public causes, managing the Queen’s household, and organizing the Great Exhibition of 1851. He played a role in the development of Britain’s constitutional monarchy and opposed the interventionist foreign policy of Lord Palmerston. Albert’s death at age 42 left Queen Victoria in deep mourning for the remainder of her life.