QUEEN VICTORIA’S marriage in 1840 to her 20-year-old cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha posed an immediate problem: what was the purpose of her new husband, other than providing an heir to the throne? There was no job description for a prince consort—even that title was, grudgingly, not granted to him by his adopted country until 1857. ‘In my home life I am very happy and contented,’ he wrote to a friend back in Germany, ‘but the difficulty in filling my place with the proper dignity is that I am only the husband, and not the master in the house.’
That was soon to change. The Queen’s frequent pregnancies— nine over the first 17 years of her marriage—meant that the Prince was able quickly to manoeuvre himself into a position of control over their domestic affairs. One issue soon became pressing: the need for larger and better accommodation for the growing Royal Family. Albert took the lead in the acquisition, design, decoration and furnishing of two new houses, at Osborne and Balmoral, the layout of their gardens and the creation of estate buildings. Despite the fact that he never made an architectural drawing, the Prince’s involvement in these projects was so close that he deserves to be described as their architect. Although the buildings for which he was responsible were modest by the standards of the palaces commissioned by European royal dynasties in the 19th century, their status as the favourite homes of the monarch of the world’s most powerful nation gave them great influence.
Denne historien er fra August 07, 2024-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra August 07, 2024-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
