Cover of Albert: A Life

Albert: A Life

Albert, prince consort to Queen Victoria and social and cultural visionary in his own right, defined the culture and direction of nineteenth century Britain—a superpower at the zenith of its influence—more than any other British royal or politician. The role he played in shaping Victorian culture stands today as indisputable proof of the enduring legacy of a man who spent just two decades of his short life in England.

Read more

Though overshadowed in history by his adoring wife and at times even mocked by her subjects, it was arguably Albert who gave form and substance to the Victorian Age. From the outset, he strove to win "the respect, the love and the confidence of the Queen and of the nation," pursuing an extraordinary social and cultural crusade that has become his greatest legacy. From the Great Exhibition and the construction of many of London's great museums to his social campaigns against slavery and the Corn Laws, Albert's achievements were truly remarkable—in fact, very few have made such a permanent mark on British society.

Audience
adult
Length
medium · 304 pages

Click a tag to see books like this one that share it. Point at it (on a phone, tap it) for less of it instead.

Read it? Sign in to help tag it.

Liked Albert: A Life? Here’s where I’d start.

These suit anyone who liked Albert: A Life. Sign in and mark a few books for picks shaped around your own taste.

  1. Queen Victoria: A Life of Contradictions Shares biography, history, nonfiction
  2. Queen Victoria's Children Shares history, nonfiction, biography
  3. Julius Caesar: Dictator for Life Shares history, nonfiction, biography
  4. King George V Shares biography, history, royalty

“If you want more of the same (history about royalty), start with these.”

  1. Queen Victoria, From her Birth to the Death of the Prince Consort
  2. The Last Princess: The Devoted Life of Queen Victoria's Youngest Daughter
  3. Censoring Queen Victoria: How Two Gentlemen Edited a Queen and Created an Icon
  4. Queen Victoria: A Personal History

“If it was the biography that hooked you, try one of these.”

  1. An Uncommon Woman - The Empress Frederick: Daughter of Queen Victoria, Wife of the Crown Prince of Prussia, Mother of Kaiser Wilhelm
  2. Crowned in a Far Country: Portraits of Eight Royal Brides
  3. Victoria's Daughters
  4. Charlotte & Leopold: The True Story of The Original People's Princess

“These start from a similar idea, even if they go somewhere else with it.”

  1. By the Spear: Philip II, Alexander the Great, and the Rise and Fall of the Macedonian Empire
  2. The journey home
  3. Conquests and Cultures: An International History
  4. Queens Consort, Cultural Transfer and European Politics, C.1500-1800