Prince Albert: The Man Who Saved the Monarchy

By A.N. Wilson

Book Overview

In this companion biography to the acclaimed Victoria, A. N. Wilson offers a deeply textured and ambitious portrait of Prince Albert, published to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the royal consort's birth.

For more than six decades, Queen Victoria ruled a great Empire at the height of its power. Beside her for more than twenty of those years was the love of her life, her trusted husband and father of their nine children, Prince Albert. But while Victoria is seen as the embodiment of her time, its values, and its paradoxes, it was Prince Albert, A. N. Wilson expertly argues, who was at the vanguard of Victorian Britain's transformation as a vibrant and extraordinary center of political, technological, scientific, and intellectual advancement. Far more than just the product of his age, Albert was one of its influencers and architects. A composer, engineer, soldier, politician, linguist, and bibliophile, Prince Albert, more than any other royal, was truly a "genius." It is impossible to understand nineteenth century England without knowing the story of this gifted visionary leader, Wilson contends.

Albert lived only forty-two years. Yet in that time, he fathered the royal dynasties of Germany, Russia, Spain, and Bulgaria. Through Victoria, Albert and her German advisers pioneered the idea of the modern constitutional monarchy. In this sweeping biography, Wilson demonstrates that there was hardly any aspect of British national life which Albert did not touch. When he was made Chancellor of the University of Cambridge in his late twenties, it was considered as purely an honorific role. But within months, Albert proposed an extensive reorganization of university life in Britain that would eventually be adopted, making it possible to study science, languages, and modern history at British universities--a revolution in education that has changed the world.

Drawn from the Royal archives, including Prince Albert's voluminous correspondence, this brilliant and ambitious book offers fascinating never-before-known details about the man and his time. A superb match of biographer and subject, Prince Albert, at last, gives this important historical figure the reverence and recognition that is long overdue.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0062749552
• ISBN13: 9780062749550
• Release Date: September 2019
• Publisher: Harper
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 1.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 6.4" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Do you have Prince Albert in a can? You'd better let him out.

A crucial time in English (world) history. You can never have too many insights or views on the subject of Prince Albert and his place in history. A.N. Wilson is not new to the field of writing about the people of this era. A.N. Wilson covers a wide array of subjects; however, now how to focus on what is important. I only read the hardcover book that has two sections of color plates, a good index, a description of the illustrations, and a small but useful biography. I picked this book after watching several video presentations and wanted to see if they missed anything. I will not attempt to give a synopsis of Prince Albert and what he accomplished, as that is why you will obtain this book. However, I will say it has valuable information for those who think they know the man and those people who are reading about him for the first time. Some places may seem tedious as many subjects are covered; you will not want to skip what you think is a mundane subject, as they are all relevant to seeing the whole story of the life of Prince Albert.