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Prince Albert is pictured in 1848 by William Edward Kilburn, in one of the thousands of items from his private collection which are being digitised. They include pictures he commissioned as an early supporter of the new medium of photography
Albert married Queen Victoria in 1840, and was known for his interest in education and science, and supporting industry, technology and design. He commissioned photographs of royal life, family gatherings and visits from important guests
An 1855 picture entitled The Royal and Imperial Visit to the Crystal Palace, documents the official visit by Victoria and Albert, and Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie of France, to the venue which had hosted the Great Exhibition four years earlier
'The Royal Family at Osborne', a picture taken in May 1857 by Leonida Caldesi, shows Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their nine children at her holiday home on the Isle of Wight. Albert had personally overseen the design of Osborne House