Initially he felt constrained by his role of consort, which did not afford him power or responsibilities. He gradually developed a reputation for supporting public causes and was entrusted with running the Queen's household, office and estates. His crowning glory was the Great Exhibition of 1851.
Victoria came to depend more and more on his support and guidance and in 1857 Albert was given the formal title of Prince Consort. Their exemplary family life, trying to avoid the outrageousness of Victoria's Hanoverian forebears, restored a respect to the Monarchy.
Victoria was therefore devastated at the loss of her husband at the relatively young age of 42. Officially, he dies of typhoid fever, but Albert had been ill for roughly 2 years and it now thought there was some other cause such as cancer. Victoria entered into a deep state of mourning and wore black for the rest of her life. Her complete withdrawal from public life even lead to talk of republicanism. This was somewhat countered by her Golden and Diamond Jubilees.
On her death in 1901, their eldest son succeeded as Edward VII, the first British monarch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, named after the ducal house to which Albert belonged.
His Motto, Treu und Fest, translates as "Loyal and Sure".
The British Quarter is first because Albert was raised from Serene Highness
to Royal Highness four days before his wedding.
As the inheritance of Coats of Arms was still through the male line and although Victoria technically outranked her husband, not only did the dynasty name change when their eldest son came to the Throne, their descendants all carried an Inescutcheon of Saxony on their British princely Arms. This of course was changed in 1917 at the height of anti-German feeling during World War One. Letters Patent dated 17 July 1917 not only declared that the name of Windsor was to be borne by the Royal House and Family but also the use of all German Titles and Dignities were to be relinquished. The Inescutcheon was therefore dropped. |