Queen Victoria marries Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1840)

Queen Victoria married her maternal first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, on 10 February 1840 at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace, London. The union followed Victoria's proposal on 15 October 1839, after Albert's visit to Windsor. The ceremony marked the beginning of their partnership, with Albert later receiving titles and honors.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom since 1837, developed mutual affection with her cousin Albert. Following his visit to Windsor in October 1839, she proposed to him on 15 October. The marriage was formally declared to the Privy Council in November 1839, setting the stage for the wedding at St James's Palace.

Ceremony. The wedding took place on 10 February 1840 in the Chapel Royal of St James's Palace, London. Victoria wore a Turkish diamond necklace and earrings presented by Sultan Mahmud II in 1838, along with a sapphire brooch given by Albert on the eve of the ceremony.

Honours around the Marriage. In the days before the wedding, Albert was granted the style of Royal Highness on 6 February 1840 and appointed Field Marshal of the British Army on 8 February 1840. Upon his marriage to Queen Victoria in 1840, he also received a personal grant of arms, being the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom differenced by a white three-point label with a red cross in the centre, quartered with his ancestral arms of Saxony; the passages supply no specific date for the arms grant.

People involved

Sources

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