Prince Albert and preparation of the First world industrial exhibition in London

Prince Albert Saxe-Coburg-Gotha became the husband of the British Queen Victoria in 1840. The British society and the country as a whole did not accept or recognize him at first. The exhibition of 1851 was the event that changed the attitude to Albert in Britain. Based on published sources (speeches, addresses, and letters of Prince Albert) and studies by British, American, Russian historians, the article analyzes the activities of Prince Albert during the preparation of the First World Industrial Exhibition in London. The author draws attention to the debatable nature of the question of who owned the initiative to hold such an event in the British capital. In 1847, Prince Albert became a chairman of the Royal Society of Arts where he met Henry Cole. The Royal Society provided financial support to the exhibitions of British manufacturers in 1847 and 1849. The idea to organize the first world industrial exhibition in London appeared in the course of the joint work of Cole and Prince Albert. The Royal Commission for the preparation of the exhibition headed by Prince Albert was created in 1850. Albert showed himself as a talented organizer. He was persistent in overcoming the obstacles that occurred at all stages of the implementation of the grandiose plan. The first World Industrial Exhibition was opened on the 1st of May 1851. The tremendous success of the event contributed to the growth of popularity and authority of Prince Albert in Britain, and also began the tradition of conducting international reviews of the achievements of mankind, which is preserved today.