Opening of the Royal Albert Hall: Arrival of the Queen

Queen Victoria opened the Royal Albert Hall of Arts and Sciences on 29th March 1871. ‘The Illustrated London News’ reported the event and produced several engravings to record it, of which this is one. It shows the arrival of the Queen at the Hall in her carriage surrounded by crowds restrained by policemen. The artists working for the weekly’ Illustrated London News’ had to produce drawings very speedily for publication and this engraving appeared in the edition of 8 April.
It is a straightforward representation, focusing on the splendour of the carriage, horses and royal entourage in which the small figure of the Queen is dwarfed by the extensive entrance hall derived from Roman architectural designs. The presence of Prince Albert is suggested by the prominence of the Albert Memorial in the background. Opened in 1872 it did not have the statue installed until 1875 which explains the empty throne inside the memorial, adding an additional layer of poignancy to the scene.