Albert Memorial

The Albert Memorial is a monument in honor of Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, standing in Kensington Gardens. It was built in the neo-Gothic style with splendor and decorations characteristic of the Victorian era. The whole is 53 m high and has a multi-stage form. The central point is a 4-meter statue of the prince, made of bronze. Above it is a spire-shaped canopy, crowned with a cross.

The monument is full of symbolism. There are sculptures representing four continents and four branches of the economy: agriculture, crafts, trade and construction. On the pillars that support the canopy, branches of science are symbolically depicted, and on the canopy mosaics, branches of art and human virtues. The entire monument was to be not only a commemoration of Prince Albert, but also a symbol of the power of the British empire.

The monument was created according to the design of George Gilbert Scott in 1872. He was chosen by Queen Victoria. The statue of Albert, by John Henry Foley, was added four years later.