There were, however, significant differences between Prince Philip’s role as consort and that of Prince Albert, who involved himself in affairs of state soon after his marriage. Albert read the government papers delivered daily to the Queen in red boxes. He gave her advice, which she welcomed, and became her private secretary and closest adviser. Only months after his marriage, Albert wrote: ‘Victoria allows me to take much part in foreign affairs and I think I have already done some good.’

By contrast, and to some extent reflecting the changing role of the monarchy in politics since Albert’s time, Philip does not see the contents of the red boxes and, indeed, has never wished to do so, which has allowed him the freedom to speak his mind, as he so often does.

Albert’s meddling in political matters, as some saw it, made him unpopular with the majority in Parliament. He was not granted a peerage or other title after the marriage and was voted a smaller annuity than previous consorts, £30,000 instead of the usual £50,000 – still an enormous sum in today’s money, and when compared with Philip’s civil list allowance. As time went by, Albert’s influence behind the throne increased substantially. He had access to all Victoria’s papers, drafted her correspondence and was present when she met her ministers. The Clerk of the Privy Council, Charles Greville, wrote of him: ‘He is King to all intents and purposes.’

Albert described his position in a letter he wrote to the Duke of Wellington, saying: ‘As natural head of the Queen’s family, superintendent of her household, manager of her private affairs, sole confidential adviser in politics . . . he is besides the husband of the Queen, the tutor of the royal children, the private secretary of the Sovereign and her permanent minister.’ In short, he saw for himself a much larger role than could ever be possible nowadays for Prince Philip, but as an active man the Duke of Edinburgh needed to find an outlet for his energies, as his predecessor had done.

Albert was only twenty years old when he married Queen Victoria; yet within a few years he had modernised the royal finances, set up a model farm at Windsor, increased the revenues of the Duchy of Cornwall and improved the other royal estates. On the Isle of Wight, Osborne House, an Italianate villa, was constructed largely to Albert’s design as a holiday home for their growing family. He was also instrumental in securing Balmoral as a royal residence, buying the estate sight unseen in 1848, and in 1853 commissioned the building of the existing castle.

Active with progressive ideas in many fields, including the abolition of slavery, the ending of child labour and the reforming of university education, Albert had a special interest in science and technological progress in the manufacturing industry, in which Britain was the world leader.