At the age of 42 inside of Windsor Castle, Prince Albert the Cosort and husband of Queen
Victoria died shockingly. His death was one that had a profound impact on the monarch
as she would for the rest of her life wear black and mourning cloth, and she was a woman
who was greatly upset by his passing. Prince Albert was considered a man who helped to
run the household of the Queen and his death was a shock across Europe. For centuries Historians
have debated what actually killed him, and it was clear that he was not a very well man
at all. However his funeral was one that was rather low key, and his body was then held
briefly inside of the Royal Vault, until a mausoleum at Frogmore was made. Eventually
his wife Queen Victoria would be laid to rest with him. But what was the story of Prince
Albert’s funeral?
When Prince Albert came over to England following the agreement of marriage between he and Queen
Victoria, his doctors warned the British that if there was a bad fever going around then
there was a good chance that he would be killed by it. His health was a continual struggle
throughout his childhood and life, and he was rather sickly. His wife Queen Victoria
added to his stresses significantly, as he would be running her household and she never
really understood his health issues. The Queen just rolled her eyes when Albert was ill,
and towards his end he was sitting in the royal palaces in the cold a lot, and was taking
on a lot.
However on the 14th December 1861 he was gravely ill. The royal doctors and physicians were
summoned and they warned that Albert was near his end. Days before his doctor William Jenner
had diagnosed Albert with typhoid fever, but it was clear that he would not make it. At
10:50pm on the 14th December 1861, inside of the Blue Room at Windsor Castle, Prince
Albert died whilst he was surrounded by the Queen and five of the nine children they had.
He was only 42 years old, and his death had a profound impact on the Queen. Some historians
considered that Albert was actually suffering from Crohn’s disease, an illness which would
be diagnosed decades following his death. Because of this no-one could help his problem
and health.
But following his death, the Queen was greatly upset and the British people sympathised with
their queen. Victoria would never recover from her husbands death and she mourned him
greatly, and alberts rooms in all of his houses were kept in the same state as if he was alive.
The Queen even ordered hot water to be taken to his bedroom in the morning, and also that
the linen and towels should be changed daily. But it would be 9 days following his death
that his funeral would take place. It was said of the funeral that, ‘During Sunday’s
funeral, sermons were preached at all churches on the loss the British nation had sustained
in the removal by death of the Prince consort. Yesterday with little of the pomp and pageantry
of a state ceremonial, but with every outward mark of respect, and with all the solemnity
with befitted his high station and his public virtues, the mortal remains of the husband
of Our Queen were interred in the last resting place of England’s sovereigns, the chapel
royal of St George’s Windsor.’
The funeral then took place inside of St George’s Chapel, the resting place of King Henry VIII
and many other members of the royal family. It was also said, ‘ By the express desire
of his Royal Highness the funeral was of the plainest and most private character; but in
the chapel, to do honor to his obsequies, were assembled all the chiefest men of the State,
and throughout England, by every sign of sorrow and mourning, the nation manifested
its sense of the loss it has sustained. Windsor itself wore an aspect of the most profound gloom.
Every shop was closed and every blind drawn down. The streets were silent and almost deserted,
and all who appeared abroad were dressed in the deepest mourning. The great bell of Windsor
Castle changed out its doleful sound at intervals from an early hour, and minute bells were
tolled also at St. John's Church. At the parish church of Clewer and at St. John's there
were services in the morning and afternoon, and the day was observed throughout the royal
borough in the strictest manner. The weather was in character with the occasion, a chill,
damp sir, with a dull, leaden sky above, increased the gloom which hung over all.’
There were not many people inside of Windsor who went to watch the procession, and it did
not go past many of the public, instead was kept under close watch by the royal family.
A guard of honour was formed by the Grenadier Guards, and Albert was the Colonel of them,
and they watched over the entrance to the chapel. The officers it was said, ‘wore
the deepest military mourning — scarves, sword-knots, and rosettes of crape. In the Home
Park was stationed a troop of horse artillery, which commenced firing minute guns at the
end of the Longwalk, advancing slowly until it reached the Castle gates just at the
close of the ceremony. The ministers, the officers of the Queen's household, and other
distinguished personages who and been honored with an invitation to attend the ceremonial,
reached Windsor by a special train from Paddington. They were met by carriages provided
for them at the station, and began to arrive at the Chapel Royal soon after 11 o'clock.
The Earl of Derby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Earl Russell, and the Duke of Buckcleuch
were among the first to make their appearance, and as they alighted at the door of the chapel
they were received by the proper officials, and conducted to the seats appointed for them
in the choir.’
The few spectators who had been given admission to the Lower Ward of Windsor stood on the
edges and they saw the quiet and private event. The members of the royal family were taken
into the chapel in different carriages, before Albert’s coffin was placed on a hearse,
and it passed through St George’s gateway into the lower ward. Many members of the royal
family including European monarchs were taken into the chapel, and they were then inside
the door of the Chapel Royal to be ready to meet the coffin. A gun fired in the distance
ceremoniously and then the mourning coach moved closer to the chapel. The mourning coaches
were followed by one of the Queen’s carriages, drawn by six horses and they were attended
on by servants. The Queen then arrived ready for the funeral, as Albert’s coffin was
ready to be taken into the chapel.
The funeral it was said was devoid of pomp and ceremony and was very personal, and following
the end of the funeral the coffin was then lowered into the royal vault beneath the floor
of the quire of St Georges’ Chapel. It was then held inside the royal vault for a year,
before it was then taken and was interred inside of the Royal Mausoleum in Frogmore,
and place which was very important for Victoria and Albert. The mausoleum had been intended
to have been a final resting place for her and Albert, and it was finally finished in
1871. Victoria would later be interred alongside her husband following her death decades later,
and their sarcophagus is in the centre of the mausoleum. On it is an effigy of Victoria
and Albert, and the pair were shown in death.
But the funeral of Prince Albert was one which was relatively low key and quiet. In Britain
at the time there was not a huge amount of love for Prince Albert, but following his
death the public showed their sympathy for their Queen and Victoria was suffering heavily.
It would be a long time before Victoria herself died, and she chose never to remarry but she
also would spend the rest of her life in mourning for her beloved Prince Albert.
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