Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha

Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, full name Francis Albert Augustus Charles Emmanuel (26 August 1819 – 14 December 1861) was the husband of Queen Victoria of Britain, and Prince Consort of the United Kingdom.

He was born in the Saxon duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld to a family connected to many of Europe's ruling monarchs. At the age of 20 he married his first cousin, Queen Victoria, with whom he would ultimately have nine children. Although the position of consort did not confer any power or duties, he lent his support to many public causes, such as educational reform and the worldwide abolition of slavery, and took on the responsibilities of running the Queen's household, estates and office. He was heavily involved with the organisation of the Great Exhibition of 1851, which was a resounding success.

Albert aided in the development of Britain's constitutional monarchy by persuading his wife to show less partisanship in her dealings with Parliament, although he actively disagreed with the interventionist foreign policy pursued during Lord Palmerston's tenure as Foreign Secretary.

Albert's death at the age of 42 plunged the Queen into a deep state of grief. She never stopped showing signs of mourning for the rest of her life, leading to the popular image of her as a dour matron. While reported at the time to have died from typhoid, Albert had exhibited undiagnosed symptoms for the previous two years, which may have indicated kidney failure or cancer.

Albert in The Two Georges
Prince Albert was the husband of Victoria, the Queen-Empress of the British Empire for much of the 19th century. By her, Albert sired the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, which continued to rule the Empire at the close of the 20th century in the person of King-Emperor Charles III.

The American province of Albertus was named for Prince Albert.