Sir George Gilbert Scott designed the memorial, a Gothic Revival ciborium derived from the Scaliger Tombs in Verona, for Queen Victoria in memory of Prince Albert. Public subscription raised £120,000. Scott's design was formally approved in April 1863, after Philip Hardwick's competing design was passed to the Queen in February 1863. Construction took over ten years, and the memorial opened in July 1872.
It is 176 feet (54 m) high, over a brick-arched undercroft. John Henry Foley began the gilt bronze statue of Albert, and Thomas Brock completed it after Foley died in August 1874. The article gives 1875 for the seating of the statue in the body and 1876 in the lead.
The frieze of Parnassus has 169 figures, carved by Henry Hugh Armstead and John Birnie Philip. The statue was painted black for about 80 years and has been regilded.
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