Site: Great Exhibition and Prince Albert (1 memorial)
SW7, Kensington Gore
This monument is just south of the Albert Hall. This whole area was at one time nicknamed Albertopolis as it was bought out of the profits of the Great Exhibition for which Prince Albert was the driving force. Once purchased the area was filled with cultural and educational buildings, many of which remain. e.g. Imperial College, Natural History Museum, Royal Albert Hall, Royal College of Music, etc.
The original idea was to erect a monument to Prince Albert in Hyde Park on the site of the Great Exhibition. A committee was formed. Albert did not want such a statue and over time the idea changed to be a monument to the Great Exhibition with a figure of, first Britannia, and then Queen Victoria. Also the site for the memorial was changed to be in the show gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society, where the Prince Consort Road now runs. This all dragged on (look at the size of the committee!) and then, 10 years after the Exhibition had closed, Albert died. Within a few days the Queen had requested that his statue replace hers on the monument.
Erected in the RHS gardens in 1863, the monument was moved to its present site in 1891-3 when the gardens were built over and the Prince Consort Road created.
More details at British History On-line.
