Magnificent Obsession

‘Rappaport uses new sources to give a vivid account of Albert’s death . . . a valuable and insightful book which will change our view of Queen Victoria.’ Spectator

When Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, died in December 1861 the nation was paralysed with grief.

His death was a catastrophe for Victoria, who not only adored her husband but had, through twenty-one years of marriage, utterly relied on him: as companion, father of their children, friend, confidant, and unofficial private secretary. Without Albert to guide and support her, the Queen retreated into a state of pathological grief which nobody could penetrate and few understood.

Drawing widely on contemporary letters, diaries and memoirs, Rappaport brings new light to bear on the causes of Albert’s death and tracks Victoria’s mission to commemorate her husband in perpetuity. Richly compelling, this is the story of a magnificent obsession that even death could not sever.