Prince Albert and his German Employees in England – Unwritten Stories
by Jana Riedel
Introduction
This year’s bicentenary celebrations in honour of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert deliberately put the spotlight not only on the Royal couple themselves, but also on the unsung and forgotten individuals who helped make their achievements possible. This particular exhibition is devoted to Albert’s personal servants. When the Prince moved to England in 1840 to marry Queen Victoria, he took with him several members of his household who were already in his service in Coburg. They not only took care of his physical well-being and …
The relocation to London
The life of a servant in the 19th century often meant having to leave their home environment in order to work in the house of a noble family. For Prince Albert’s employees his marriage to Queen Victoria necessitated relocating to a completely foreign country. It meant a long-term separation from family, friends and homes.
Albert’s servants dealt with the move in different ways. Some of them adapted completely to their new home, married an Englishwoman and …
