| dc.description.abstract | While Queen Victoria is often regarded as Britain’s first media monarch, this study argues that Albert was the first royal consort to be shaped by the press. Using a wide range of sources, including major London newspapers, regional publications, satirical magazines, parliamentary debates, letters, pamphlets, and visual materials, the research traces how Albert was represented over time—and how those representations, often contradictory, influenced public opinion.
The dissertation’s timeframe (1840-1861) encompasses the period from Albert’s arrival in England until his death, with particular attention to pivotal moments that generated
intensive press scrutiny. Each event illustrates the precarious negotiation between Albert’s genuine achievements and the persistent suspicion with which he was met.
The research adopts a holistic approach, examining not merely the
prominence of Albert within newspaper coverage, but the dimensions of representation — the rhetoric, imagery, and narrative framing through which diverse publications constructed their versions of the Prince Consort. Particular attention is devoted to the positioning of individual newspapers, recognising that the press constituted a heterogeneous field wherein titles such as The Times frequently defended Albert, whilst conservative and radical publications expressed markedly different attitudes.
This research thus offers a more nuanced portrait of Prince Albert—neither the saintly figure of Victorian memorial culture nor the foreign manipulator imagined by his detractors, but rather an exceptionally able, deeply conscientious individual who navigated impossible contradictions with considerable success yet never entirely transcended the limitations imposed by his birth and position. In reconstructing the volatile media image that attended his every action, this study illuminates broader transformations in British political culture, royal ceremonial, press freedom, and national identity during a pivotal period of modernization and imperial expansion. | pl_PL |
