The area has a very royal nickname (Image: Jason Hawkes/Getty Images)
While many fans of the monarchy may be well accustomed to where the ’s Palaces are in the city, not everyone knows where to find one area in London that has its very own royal nickname.
Although the nickname is not used so much nowadays, it is well-known by historians and architects working in South Kensington that the area of museums and educational buildings is nicknamed Albertopolis as a result of the history of the area.
, the name came about as a result of the huge number of links the place has to Queen Victoria’s consort Prince Albert.
Albert wanted to transform the area around the Exhibition in South Kensington into a hub for science and arts in London. This was why the area was later nicknamed the Albertopolis. His efforts to transform the area came after he helped to organise
The term first came to light in the 1850s after Prince Albert’s work to develop a place where the cultural achievements of a number of famous scientists, inventors and mathematicians could be celebrated – people he was huge supporters of.
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Despite his efforts to ensure that culture, science, education and industry were celebrated in the area, Prince Albert died at the age of 42 in 1961 at Windsor Castle, before all his ideas came to fruition.
In the years after his death, the South Kensington Museum became the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Science Museum.
The Royal Albert Hall in 1871 was also named in his honour, with the Natural History Museum opening 10 years later in 1881.
The area also became the home of various other sites including the Royal Geographical Society and the Imperial College of Science and Technology.
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Prince Albert was Queen Victoria’s husband (Image: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
In the years after his death, Albert’s wife Queen Victoria never recovered from the grief and wore black for the rest of her life.
The Albert Memorial in the nearby Kensington Gardens, which opened in 1872 with a statue of him seated looking south towards Albertopolis, remains in place today in honour of his efforts to reshape London’s cultural landscape.