Early Years of His Royal Highness the Prince Consort: Compiled under the Direction of Her Majesty the Queen

Originally written for private circulation among the Royal Family, this book, written by Lieutenant-General Charles Grey (1804-70), was first published in 1867. It details Prince Albert’s life from his birth in 1819 through to his wedding to Queen Victoria and the first year of their married life. The Queen commissioned Grey, who had been secretary to both Albert and herself, as her husband’s biographer, and the book was granted a wider publication, so that all who read it would ‘tend to a better and higher appreciation of Prince Albert’s great character’. Sourced from letters and memoranda, the book traces the development of Albert from an intelligent and gentle boy to the intellectual and moral compass of a nation. It records Albert’s first visits to England, the wedding, his love for his adopted country and life in London, and includes details such as an attempted assassination of the Queen.