Place Name
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (August 26, 1819 – December 14, 1861) was consort to Queen Victoria. The pair, who were first cousins, wed on February 10 1840. Soon after he became “an informal but powerful member of government”. He was insistent on developing the Crown’s influence as an impartial force in domestic affairs and repeatedly clashed with the gung-ho Lord Palmerston over foreign policy. He developed a reputation for supporting public causes, such as educational reform and the abolition of slavery worldwide, and was entrusted with running the Queen’s household, office, and estates. He was heavily involved with the organisation of the Great Exhibition of 1851. Despite all this he never managed to shake off public disapproval. His death was thought to have been from typhoid fever but today it is believed he may have been suffering from a chronic condition, such as Crohn’s disease, renal failure, or abdominal cancer. This was one of many roads across London that were named after him. The Embankment was built between 1866 and 1870, under the direction of Joseph Bazalgette. Gillian Bebbington in London Street Names: “After the Queen’s bereavement in 1861, more important memorials came thick and fast [His name was already popular following his marriage]. The Albert Embankment, which reclaimed much land on the south of the River Thames, was finished in 1870 and so called as a companion name to the Victoria Embankment on the opposite bank.”
