The Blue DEATH ROOM Where Prince Albert Died

the blue room where Prince Albert died when Prince Albert Fell Gravely ill he was moved from the bedroom he shared with Queen Victoria to the Blue Room which was transformed into his sick room this room adjacent to the white drawing room one of the most opulent salons in Windsor Castle's private Apartments was named for its blue silk to mask W coverings and matching curtains on the evening of Saturday the 14th of December 1861 Princess Alice summoned her mother back to the blue room where Prince Albert was suffering from typhoid fever or now today known as Crohn's Queen Victoria realizing the end was near was at his side when he passed away at 10:50 p.m. years later in 1872 the queen vividly remembered the moment two or three long long but perfectly gentle breaths were drawn the hand clasping mine and all all was over I stood up kissed his dearly Heavenly forehead and called out in a bitter and agonizing cry oh my dear darling and then dropped on my knees in mute distracted despair unable to utter a word or shed a tear Ernest lenan and Sir C fips Lifted Me Up and Ernest led me me out on the first morning of her widowhood she returned to the Blue Room to gaze upon her beloved husband's face advised by her doctors not to kiss him she kissed his clothes instead she had every part of the room photograph to preserve it exactly as it had been at that fateful moment 10 minutes to 11: on the 14th of December 1861 when her own life had been irreparably changed she visited the death chamber twice the next day and wrote to her eldest daughter the Crown Princess of Prussia describing Prince Albert is appearing beautiful as marble and the features so perfect though grown very thin though his body was not placed in the coffin until the 18th Queen Victoria chose not to look upon it again she explained to her daughter that she preferred to remember him as he was in life and health rather then imprint the sad Albert lovely image of his death too strongly in her mind overwhelmed with grief the queen withdrew to Osborne on the 19th unable to endure the funeral service that was held at St George's Chapel on the 23rd fresh flowers and Memorial roofs were kept in the room constantly each evening Albert's dressing gown and fresh clothes were laid out on his bed and a jug of steaming h hot water was placed on his wash standand the glass from which he had taken his last dose of medicine remained on the table beside his bed on his writing table his pen rested upon his open blotting book ready for his grasp this Arrangement remained undisturbed for over 40 years and she ordered Albert's dressing gown and fresh clothes to be laid out every morning and a jug of steaming hot water between the two beds in the room a marble bust of him was placed with his portrait hung above it adorned with Evergreens almost daily fresh flowers were strewn beneath it on the pillows the glass on which he had taken his last dose of medicine was kept on the table beside it remaining there for more than 40 years his writing table was left with his blotting book open and his pen resting upon it as if waiting for him to use it the guests at Windsor were required to sign his visitor's book as well as the Queen's just as they had before she had herself photographed gazing at his bust and went to bed each night clasping one of his night shirts with a cast of his hand nearby close enough for her to touch Queen Victoria had relied on Prince Albert for everything from drafting her official letters and dispatches to approving her dresses and bonnet suddenly her pillar of support was gone in the early days of her widowhood she displayed moments of extraordinary composure recalling Prince Albert's advice at her mother's death that she should control her feelings and not dwell on her sorrow the queen resolved to carry out her duties to the country as he would have wished however these moments of calm resolution were interrupted with intense bouts of despair though she believed that Prince Albert was too pure and too good for this world and that his great soul is now enjoying that for which it was worthy at times she felt that to live without him is really no life and in these moments of Anguish her only wish was to follow him soon she found solace in the conviction that her husband still living only invisible contined to watch over her and that they would meet again in their Eternal real home demonstrating her resolve to treat him as living Queen Victoria ordered that Prince Albert's private rooms at Windsor Bal moral and Osborne be maintained just as he had left them as if he was still there and when Lord Clarendon visited the queen at Osborne in March 1862 she spoke on various subjects as usual and referred to the prince's sayings and actions as if he were only in the Next Room it was hard to believe he was not there but in his own room where she received me everything was set out on his table his pen and blotting book his handkerchief on the sofa his watch running fresh flowers in the glass just as I had always seen them as if he might walk in at any moment every night Prince Albert's clothes were laid out a jug of hot water and clean towels were placed in his dressing room as though ready for use yet the truth was starkly revealed by the colored photograph of his corpse hanging over his side of the bed in each of the royal residences Queen Victoria also kept cast of the prince's face and hands made by the sculpture William thed by her bedside though she could not bring herself to look at the de mask knowing Prince Albert had found such things distasteful the cars of his hands com Ed her and in moments of Despair she clung to them as she might have held his hands in life the numerous painted and sculptured portraits of the deceased Prince which Queen Victoria commissioned also provided her with Solace serving as a vivid reminder of her belief that her husband was still watching over her by the end of the 19th century the fabric Furnishings had deteriorated significantly becoming faded afay and even rotted necessitating replacement during Queen Victoria's absence the hangings were secretly replaced with new silk that had been meticulously faded to match the originals this ruse relied on the hopeful knowledge of Queen Victoria's greatly diminished eyesight fortunately she never noticed the change after her son Edward iith ascended the throne he had the room complete completely redecorated to serve as his study

Channel: Past People

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Keywords: albert, royal family, british history, prince albert, prince albert death, the blue room, prince albert room, windsor castle blue room, death of prince albert, queen victorias husband, queen victoria, queen victoria mourning, victorian era, real cause of death of prince albert, prince albert victor death, blue room windsor castle, prince albert queen victoria, albert and victoria, death of queen victoria's husband, death albert queen victoria, queen victoria husband

Id: XY9m1NavipA

Length: 8min 5sec (485 seconds)

Published: Fri Jun 21 2024