Prince Albert Memorial branded 'offensive' as it reflects 'Victorian view of the world'
21 July 2024, 13:42 | Updated: 22 July 2024, 07:56
The Albert Memorial in Kensington has been ‘considered offensive’ by Royal Parks.
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The memorial was built to honour Queen Victoria’s late husband in 1872.
But it has since come under fire by Royal Parks for presenting a “Victorian view of the world”.
It can be found opposite the Royal Albert Hall in Kensington Gardens, west London.
Depicting the Prince Consort, alongside the people and animals of Asia, America, Africa, and Europe, the monument stands at 176ft.
The Royal Parks website claims that the statues are racially derogatory.
It says: “Though the Empire has traditionally been celebrated as a symbol of British supremacy, many today consider this view as problematic because colonialism often relied on the oppression and exploitation of people, resources and cultures.”
Read more: Tourist sparks outrage in Florence after simulating sex with beloved statue of Bacchus
The website adds that while the British empire has long been perceived as a symbol of British supremacy, views have now changed, and many consider the empire to be problematic due to its links with colonialism and exploitation of people.
Queen Victoria commissioned the memorial in 1862, a year after her husband Prince Albert died. It cost £120,000 to build, which is roughly equivalent to £10,000,000 today.
The monument’s architect, Sir George Gilbert Scott, also designed St Pancras Midland Grand hotel and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
The Royal Parks told the Telegraph that the information about the memorial was added on their website as part of efforts to provide up to date information about landscape and heritage features.
Following the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, calls have been made to denounce or take down statues or figures that symbolise racial subjugation and Britain's links with slavery.
Most famously, the Edward Colston statue was toppled by anti-racism protestors in Bristol in 2020. Other buildings with links to Colston – a 17th-century slave driver – such as the city’s Colston Hall have since been renamed.
