|name=Franz August Karl Albert Emanuel|alias=Prince Consort<br>Albert|relationships=[[The Empress]] (spouse)<br>
|name=Franz August Karl Albert Emanuel|alias=Prince Consort<br>Albert|relationships=[[The Empress]] (spouse)<br>
[[The Royal Family]] (children)}}<blockquote>''The Traitor Empress' consort became dangerously ill just before the Fall. Typhoid, apparently. It seems he's quite recovered and lives happily to this day. The air down here must have been good for his health.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Sidebar_Snippets#The_Traitor_Empress Sidebar Snippets: What happened to the Traitor Empress' consort?, ''Fallen London'']</ref>''</blockquote>'''The Consort''', Prince Albert, is the [[The Empress|Empress]]'s almost-dead husband.
[[The Royal Family]] (children)|caption1=A photograph of the Consort.}}<blockquote>''"The Traitor Empress' consort became dangerously ill just before the Fall. Typhoid, apparently. It seems he's quite recovered and lives happily to this day. The air down here must have been good for his health."<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Sidebar_Snippets#The_Traitor_Empress Sidebar Snippets: What happened to the Traitor Empress' consort?, ''Fallen London'']</ref>''</blockquote>'''The Consort''', alias '''Prince Albert''', is the [[The Empress|Empress]]'s not-exactly-dead husband.
== Love, Eternal ==
== Love, Eternal ==
<blockquote>''"...enjoyed such invariable good health... and lived so regularly all his life, that the public thought nothing of his illness until they were startled yesterday morning by the bulletin announcing a restless night and the appearance of unsatisfactory symptoms..."''<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/My_Kingdom_for_a_Pig My Kingdom for a Pig, ''Fallen London'']</ref></blockquote>Forty years ago — give or take — [[London]] found itself in a terrible predicament. Britain's Prince Consort, long admired and beloved, had fallen ill with typhoid fever. No one had expected his condition to take a turn for the worse, as he had been in generally good health, but on December 15, 1861, his death was announced.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/My_Kingdom_for_a_Pig My Kingdom for a Pig, ''Fallen London''] ''"...enjoyed such invariable good health... and lived so regularly all his life, that the public thought nothing of his illness until they were startled yesterday morning by the bulletin announcing a restless night and the appearance of unsatisfactory symptoms..." [Editor's note: This is a snippet from a [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-observer-death-of-prince-albert/15721531/ newspaper] announcing the death of Albert in 1861]''</ref>
<blockquote>''"...enjoyed such invariable good health... and lived so regularly all his life, that the public thought nothing of his illness until they were startled yesterday morning by the bulletin announcing a restless night and the appearance of unsatisfactory symptoms..."''<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/My_Kingdom_for_a_Pig My Kingdom for a Pig, ''Fallen London'']</ref></blockquote>Forty years ago — give or take — [[London]] found itself in a terrible predicament. Britain's Prince Consort, long admired and beloved, fell ill with typhoid fever. No one expected his condition to take a turn for the worse, as he had been in generally good health, but on December 15, 1861, his death was announced.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/My_Kingdom_for_a_Pig My Kingdom for a Pig, ''Fallen London''] ''"...enjoyed such invariable good health... and lived so regularly all his life, that the public thought nothing of his illness until they were startled yesterday morning by the bulletin announcing a restless night and the appearance of unsatisfactory symptoms..." [Editor's note: This is a snippet from a [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-observer-death-of-prince-albert/15721531/ newspaper] announcing the death of Albert in 1861]''</ref>
His passing shattered [[The Empress|the reigning Queen]]. Consumed by grief, she intended to wear jet-black mourning dress for the rest of her days, and ordered the palace to be shuttered to keep out sunlight.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/My_Kingdom_for_a_Pig My Kingdom for a Pig, ''Fallen London''] ''"Hushed hallways. Velvet. Black velvet. A scratch as matches flare and candles burn in the blackness. Speak softly, for my head still aches. I cannot bear the sun. Only candles. Bring them closer. I wish to see his face. Bring me the laudanum, quietly, quickly, for my head aches."''</ref> Her love for her Prince Consort was boundless enough that she would do anything to bring him back — and that love drew the attention of the [[The Masters of the Bazaar|Masters of the Bazaar]].<ref>[https://maskoftherose.miraheze.org/wiki/Mr_Pages#confirming_purchase Mr Pages: Theories or Manifesto for Archie, ''Mask of the Rose''] ''"We performed the acquisition. I was not alone in the emporiance. My influence was greatest in the matter of selection. Mr Iron opposed me. It is antiverbiant."''</ref> They came with an offer:<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/My_Kingdom_for_a_Pig My Kingdom for a Pig, ''Fallen London''] ''"Nobody can enter. Nobody can leave. Except for the thing on the roof. Have you witnessed its wings? Amongst the towers, perching, preening, entering and leaving when its talons tap the shuttered windowpane. Tap, tap, tap. Let me in. I have come bearing gifts. Tap, tap, tap. Let us in. We have come bearing gifts."''</ref> they would preserve the life of her beloved in exchange for everything she owned. And that included London.<ref>[https://maskoftherose.miraheze.org/wiki/Mr_Pages#confirming_purchase Mr Pages: Theories or Manifesto for Archie, ''Mask of the Rose''] ''"Her consort was dying. A loss not to be contemplemitted. We preserved him. In exchange: everything else she possessed. London and all that lies in fluminate propinquity, together with the oddments of the imperial hoard."''</ref> They kept their word. The Consort lived again. Victoria and her resurrected Albert even consummated their marriage once more, resulting in the conception of the [[The Captivating Princess|Captivating Princess]].<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/My_Kingdom_for_a_Pig My Kingdom for a Pig, ''Fallen London''] ''"Listen: this is how love sounds. Excessive love and affection. Heavenly love and happiness. Beauty, sweetness, gentleness. My dearest, dearest, dear husband! How can I ever be thankful enough? He clasps her in his arms, and they kiss each other again and again. Their daughter watches through curtains whose folds fall black and heavy from the canopy."''</ref> But the Prince’s return was brief and cruelly twisted. Though reanimated, he became little more than a husk: mute, immobile, a living corpse in all but name.<ref name=":0">[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Pose_as_a_servant_(An_Empress%27_Grief) Pose as a servant, ''Fallen London''] ''"Steps in the throne chamber. She's left – but for a moment, perhaps to recompose herself. Your chance. You walk in. The Consort is still on his throne, a placid porcelain mask covering his features. He doesn't move, or make any sound at all. [...]"''</ref>
The newly widowed Queen was consumed by grief. She intended to wear jet-black mourning dress for the rest of her days, and ordered the palace to be shuttered to keep out sunlight.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/My_Kingdom_for_a_Pig My Kingdom for a Pig, ''Fallen London''] ''"Hushed hallways. Velvet. Black velvet. A scratch as matches flare and candles burn in the blackness. Speak softly, for my head still aches. I cannot bear the sun. Only candles. Bring them closer. I wish to see his face. Bring me the laudanum, quietly, quickly, for my head aches."''</ref> Her love for her Prince Consort was boundless enough that she would do anything to bring him back — and that love drew the attention of the [[The Masters of the Bazaar|Masters of the Bazaar]].<ref>[https://maskoftherose.miraheze.org/wiki/Mr_Pages#confirming_purchase Mr Pages: Theories or Manifesto for Archie, ''Mask of the Rose''] ''"We performed the acquisition. I was not alone in the emporiance. My influence was greatest in the matter of selection. Mr Iron opposed me. It is antiverbiant."''</ref> They came with an offer:<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/My_Kingdom_for_a_Pig My Kingdom for a Pig, ''Fallen London''] ''"Nobody can enter. Nobody can leave. Except for the thing on the roof. Have you witnessed its wings? Amongst the towers, perching, preening, entering and leaving when its talons tap the shuttered windowpane. Tap, tap, tap. Let me in. I have come bearing gifts. Tap, tap, tap. Let us in. We have come bearing gifts."''</ref> they would preserve the life of her beloved in exchange for everything she owned, including London.<ref>[https://maskoftherose.miraheze.org/wiki/Mr_Pages#confirming_purchase Mr Pages: Theories or Manifesto for Archie, ''Mask of the Rose''] ''"Her consort was dying. A loss not to be contemplemitted. We preserved him. In exchange: everything else she possessed. London and all that lies in fluminate propinquity, together with the oddments of the imperial hoard."''</ref> The Masters kept their word, as London became the [[Fifth City]] to be purchased by the [[Echo Bazaar]] and transported to the [[Neath]], and the Consort lived again. The royal couple even consummated their marriage once more, resulting in the conception of the [[The Captivating Princess|Captivating Princess]].<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/My_Kingdom_for_a_Pig My Kingdom for a Pig, ''Fallen London''] ''"Listen: this is how love sounds. Excessive love and affection. Heavenly love and happiness. Beauty, sweetness, gentleness. My dearest, dearest, dear husband! How can I ever be thankful enough? He clasps her in his arms, and they kiss each other again and again. Their daughter watches through curtains whose folds fall black and heavy from the canopy."''</ref> But the Masters could only do so much for someone who had already died, and it soon became apparent that the Consort's physical and cognitive faculties were heavily impaired.<ref name=":0">[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Pose_as_a_servant_(An_Empress%27_Grief) Pose as a servant, ''Fallen London''] ''"Steps in the throne chamber. She's left – but for a moment, perhaps to recompose herself. Your chance. You walk in. The Consort is still on his throne, a placid porcelain mask covering his features. He doesn't move, or make any sound at all. [...]"''</ref>
In his youth, the Prince Consort had a gentle, rounded face framed with sideburns,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Watch,_furtively Watch, furtively, ''Fallen London''] ''"The man who stepped out of the fog squirms out of her embrace. His face is delicate and rounded, ringed with sideburns; his skin would look perfectly youthful if the blood wasn't draining from it in horror."''</ref> his eyes grey and melancholy.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Cover_your_mouth Cover your mouth, ''Fallen London''] ''"It's his eyes, at first: grey ringed with black, large and sad. [...]"''</ref> He had wooed Victoria with his skill on the violin.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Consonant_Violin Consonant Violin, ''Fallen London''] ''"Said to have been played by the Consort when he first romanced the Empress at Kensington Palace."''</ref> Now he wears a serene and smiling porcelain death-mask, which hides his decayed, fish-grey visage beneath.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Trade_in_Faces A Trade in Faces, ''Fallen London''] ''"[...] The Consort leans forward. He wears a death-mask of perfect porcelain, serene and smiling. [...] The face beneath is a rotten grey, the colour of dead fish on a beach. When he sips, tea dribbles through his beard. She dabs it away with the lace of her sleeve. "Wait," she tells him, "ein Kuss." Tenderly, she kisses his ragged lips, then slides his mask back down."''</ref> The mask is meant to restore his countenance somehow, but it's evidently not working as the masks keep decaying.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Reunion Reunion, ''Fallen London''] ''"They keep putting masks on grandfather! Grandmother thinks it will restore him. But there's nothing behind the mask. They rot on top of each other. His face is a grave! There's no future here!"''</ref> Busts of him are popular throughout London, <ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Oh,_it%27s_just_that_bloody_bust_of_the_Consort Oh, it's just that bloody bust of the Consort, ''Fallen London''] ''"These monstrous things are terribly popular in London - whether from sycophancy, misplaced patriotic duty or simply disastrous taste. You give it a pat as you pass. For luck."''</ref> though they are somewhat startling: wide, staring eyes and gaping mouths caught mid-silent scream.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/An_Alarming_Bust An Alarming Bust, ''Fallen London''] ''"A staring-eyed face looms out of the darkness! Its mouth gapes like a wound!"''</ref> The servants maintain his room like he were still actively using it.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Reunion Reunion, ''Fallen London''] ''"As the gaslights are heightened, several chamberlains enter and begin to arrange a desk near the great window. When the Prince enquires what is happening, you are informed that this is the hour when the Consort would engage in correspondence. Pens are arranged, inkwells filled. Then the chamberlains leave. No one enters the room. An hour later, they return to clear away the desk."''</ref>
In life, the Prince Consort had a rounded face framed by sideburns,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Watch,_furtively Watch, furtively, ''Fallen London''] ''"The man who stepped out of the fog squirms out of her embrace. His face is delicate and rounded, ringed with sideburns; his skin would look perfectly youthful if the blood wasn't draining from it in horror."''</ref> and grey and melancholy eyes.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Cover_your_mouth Cover your mouth, ''Fallen London''] ''"It's his eyes, at first: grey ringed with black, large and sad. [...]"''</ref> He was a talented amateur musician, and legend has it that he charmed the Queen by playing the violin for her when they first courted each other.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Consonant_Violin Consonant Violin, ''Fallen London''] ''"Said to have been played by the Consort when he first romanced the Empress at Kensington Palace."''</ref> In his current state of not-quite-death, he wears a porcelain death mask with a serene smile on its face, which hides his decayed, discolored flesh<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Trade_in_Faces A Trade in Faces, ''Fallen London''] ''"[...] The Consort leans forward. He wears a death-mask of perfect porcelain, serene and smiling. [...] The face beneath is a rotten grey, the colour of dead fish on a beach. When he sips, tea dribbles through his beard. She dabs it away with the lace of her sleeve. "Wait," she tells him, "ein Kuss." Tenderly, she kisses his ragged lips, then slides his mask back down."''</ref> - but the masks are apparently ''also'' prone to decay, which is strange for porcelain.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Reunion Reunion, ''Fallen London''] ''"They keep putting masks on grandfather! Grandmother thinks it will restore him. But there's nothing behind the mask. They rot on top of each other. His face is a grave! There's no future here!"''</ref> Busts of the Consort are popular throughout London,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Oh,_it%27s_just_that_bloody_bust_of_the_Consort Oh, it's just that bloody bust of the Consort, ''Fallen London''] ''"These monstrous things are terribly popular in London - whether from sycophancy, misplaced patriotic duty or simply disastrous taste. You give it a pat as you pass. For luck."''</ref> though they have grown rather unnerving, with staring eyes and gaping mouths.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/An_Alarming_Bust An Alarming Bust, ''Fallen London''] ''"A staring-eyed face looms out of the darkness! Its mouth gapes like a wound!"''</ref>
Within the [[The Shuttered Palace|Shuttered Palace]], music and loud noise are banned. Still, the Consort retains his love of symphonies.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Your_symphony_is_complete! Your symphony is complete!, ''Fallen London''] ''"Music is usually banned from the Shuttered Palace. However, the Consort is old-fashioned and likes the occasional symphony, so the Empress is prepared to make an exception. But what manner of music will there be?"''</ref> On rare occasions, boisterous performances are permitted, which sometimes coax the barest quirk of a smile to his pallid face.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/An_exuberant_cannonade An exuberant cannonade, ''Fallen London''] ''"And you begin. The windows explode immediately. Dust and glass rain down, shaken from the ceiling by your cannon. The Empress' knuckles are bone white as she clutches her gilded chair. […] glorious. […] Was that a smile on the pale, lost face of the Consort?"''</ref> Stranger still, he continues to organize concerts and banquets,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Shuttered_Palace The Shuttered Palace, ''Fallen London''] ''"The Traitor Empress hasn't left the palace in thirty years. Her consort still arranges concerts and banquets in the darkly glittering rooms and dripping gardens. You may be invited. But go carefully. She dislikes sudden movements."''</ref> despite being speechless and incapable of movement.<ref name=":0" /> Years ago, he was involved in some affair with a former candidate for Imperial Artist-in-Residence.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Take_tea_with_a_Reclusive_Novelist Take tea with a Reclusive Novelist, ''Fallen London''] ''"She was the finest writer of her decade. Her advice on prose is impossibly valuable. Perhaps one day she'll relent and tell you what happened between her and the Consort, all those years ago."''</ref>
The [[Shuttered Palace]] bans music and loud noise, but the Consort still loves to watch symphonic performances.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Your_symphony_is_complete! Your symphony is complete!, ''Fallen London''] ''"Music is usually banned from the Shuttered Palace. However, the Consort is old-fashioned and likes the occasional symphony, so the Empress is prepared to make an exception. But what manner of music will there be?"''</ref> As such, these are permitted on rare occasions, and the music might even coax his pallid face into the barest hint of a smile.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/An_exuberant_cannonade An exuberant cannonade, ''Fallen London''] ''"And you begin. The windows explode immediately. Dust and glass rain down, shaken from the ceiling by your cannon. The Empress' knuckles are bone white as she clutches her gilded chair. […] glorious. […] Was that a smile on the pale, lost face of the Consort?"''</ref> The Palace states that the Consort continues to organize concerts and banquets himself,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Shuttered_Palace The Shuttered Palace, ''Fallen London''] ''"The Traitor Empress hasn't left the palace in thirty years. Her consort still arranges concerts and banquets in the darkly glittering rooms and dripping gardens. You may be invited. But go carefully. She dislikes sudden movements."''</ref> but this may be for the sake of appearances since he is unable to speak or move.<ref name=":0" /> Along the same lines, the Shuttered Palace's servants maintain his room as if he was still actively using it.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Reunion Reunion, ''Fallen London''] ''"As the gaslights are heightened, several chamberlains enter and begin to arrange a desk near the great window. When the Prince enquires what is happening, you are informed that this is the hour when the Consort would engage in correspondence. Pens are arranged, inkwells filled. Then the chamberlains leave. No one enters the room. An hour later, they return to clear away the desk."''</ref> That said, a former candidate for Imperial Artist-in-Residence claims to have had some sort of dispute with the Consort years ago that is implied to have ruined her chances.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Take_tea_with_a_Reclusive_Novelist Take tea with a Reclusive Novelist, ''Fallen London''] ''"She was the finest writer of her decade. Her advice on prose is impossibly valuable. Perhaps one day she'll relent and tell you what happened between her and the Consort, all those years ago."''</ref>
== The Most Serene Mausoleum ==
== The Most Serene Mausoleum ==
<blockquote>''A stoker sings a patriotic anthem: "She laid him in the stone's grey grip, My love no more is he; O Albion, I've no consort but thee."''<ref>[https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Most_Serene_Mausoleum The Most Serene Mausoleum, ''Sunless Skies'']</ref></blockquote>In ''Sunless Skies'', the Consort is "alive,"<ref>[https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Heart_of_Empire Heart of Empire, ''Sunless Skies''] ''"He lies in the centre of the structure, mounted on a marble altar, caught in a beam of light, resting on velvet cushions. While the ravages of his illness are quite obvious, he's so well preserved that you could almost think him alive. At which point he coughs. The Prince Consort lives. It is not a life any would wish for, but it is life."''</ref> but [[New London]] still laments his "death" and a day is dedicated to mourning his passing.<ref>[https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Airs_of_London#Wander Airs of London, ''Sunless Skies''] ''"Banners haunt the streets in black and gold. Imperial carriages trawl down the sloping heights of the city. Crowds have gathered along the streets, dropping pale flowers before the approaching vehicles. A stranger in the crowd informs you that today the city mourns the Prince-Consort."''</ref> Entombed in the [[The Most Serene Mausoleum|Most Serene Mausoleum]], he lies on a bed of velvet cushions atop a white marble altar. Accompanying him is a doppelganger of Queen Victoria.<ref>[https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Inside_the_Tomb Inside the Tomb, ''Sunless Skies''] ''"Given the nature of the tomb, it is not unpleasantly appointed. The Prince Consort lolls on a bed of velvet cushions, bejewelled and foul against the white marble of his altar. Beside him, an expressionless woman of startlingly familiar countenance: this is either Queen Victoria herself or a remarkable doppelganger."''</ref> Many visitors come to the tomb to see the pale face of the Prince Consort; payment is required to get a better, or private, view.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Most_Serene_Mausoleum#The_Prince_Consort's_Tomb|The Prince Consort's Tomb|Sunless Skies|}}</ref> He's in a state of half-consciousness, and can only communicate by coughing<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Heart_of_Empire|Heart of Empire|Sunless Skies|}}''"A long pause is broken only by a parchment-dry cough as the Prince Regent stirs. The Princess bounces, taking it as a yes."''</ref> or groaning. Only Victoria herself can elicit a coherent word from him.<ref>[https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Inside_the_Tomb#Interactions Talk with the Prince Consort, ''Sunless Skies''] ''"A sibilant noise worms from the Prince Consort, a sound that could be a word or a release of bacterial gases. "He is a poor conversationalist," supplies the False Victoria without judgement. "Once in a while, She can excite an actual word from him, but that is all.""''</ref> However, he can still move his limbs.<ref>[https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Inside_the_Tomb#Interactions Speak to the Prince Consort about the False Victoria, ''Sunless Skies''] ''"A long exhalation, full of dust and effort. The Prince Consort turns to gaze upon the False Victoria. "We don't know if he can tell the difference between his wife and us. We are not sure it matters. I..." The next words spill as though from a cut throat. "We do not care. We love him. We must.""''</ref><ref>[https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Inside_the_Tomb#Interactions Make a swift escape, ''Sunless Skies''] ''"As you leave, the Prince Consort gropes for False Victoria's hand. She lets out a sigh, soft and small and sad."''</ref>
<blockquote>[[File:Serenemausoleum.png|thumb|278x278px|[[The Most Serene Mausoleum]]]]''A stoker sings a patriotic anthem: "She laid him in the stone's grey grip, My love no more is he; O Albion, I've no consort but thee."''<ref>[https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Most_Serene_Mausoleum The Most Serene Mausoleum, ''Sunless Skies'']</ref></blockquote>In the ''Sunless Skies'' timeline, the Consort is "alive,"<ref>[https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Heart_of_Empire Heart of Empire, ''Sunless Skies''] ''"He lies in the centre of the structure, mounted on a marble altar, caught in a beam of light, resting on velvet cushions. While the ravages of his illness are quite obvious, he's so well preserved that you could almost think him alive. At which point he coughs. The Prince Consort lives. It is not a life any would wish for, but it is life."''</ref> but [[New London]] still laments his "death" and a day is dedicated to mourning his passing.<ref>[https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Airs_of_London#Wander Airs of London, ''Sunless Skies''] ''"Banners haunt the streets in black and gold. Imperial carriages trawl down the sloping heights of the city. Crowds have gathered along the streets, dropping pale flowers before the approaching vehicles. A stranger in the crowd informs you that today the city mourns the Prince-Consort."''</ref> Entombed in the [[The Most Serene Mausoleum|Most Serene Mausoleum]], he lies on a bed of velvet cushions atop a white marble altar, and is kept company by a doppelganger of Queen Victoria.<ref>[https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Inside_the_Tomb Inside the Tomb, ''Sunless Skies''] ''"Given the nature of the tomb, it is not unpleasantly appointed. The Prince Consort lolls on a bed of velvet cushions, bejewelled and foul against the white marble of his altar. Beside him, an expressionless woman of startlingly familiar countenance: this is either Queen Victoria herself or a remarkable doppelganger."''</ref><ref name=":1">{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Inside_the_Tomb#Interactions|Speak to the Prince Consort about the False Victoria|Sunless Skies|}} ''""We don't know if he can tell the difference between his wife and us. We are not sure it matters. I..." The next words spill as though from a cut throat. "We do not care. We love him. We must.""''</ref> Visitors throng to the tomb to see the pale face of the Prince Consort;<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Most_Serene_Mausoleum#The_Prince_Consort's_Tomb|Join the reverent crowds at the Prince Consort's Tomb|Sunless Skies|}} ''"A few sovereigns will buy you a few minutes at the sepulchre. [...] Crowds of visitors in mourning jostle for a better position. [...] You are afforded a brief glimpse of the Prince's haunted marble face, before you are ushered away."''</ref> further payment is required to get a better, or private, view.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Most_Serene_Mausoleum#The_Prince_Consort's_Tomb|The Prince Consort's Tomb|Sunless Skies|}}''"Arrange something more than a private viewing"''</ref> He remains in a state of half-consciousness,<ref name=":1" /> and while he can still turn his head and move his limbs with effort,<ref>[https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Inside_the_Tomb#Interactions Speak to the Prince Consort about the False Victoria, ''Sunless Skies''] ''"A long exhalation, full of dust and effort. The Prince Consort turns to gaze upon the False Victoria."''</ref><ref>[https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Inside_the_Tomb#Interactions Make a swift escape, ''Sunless Skies''] ''"As you leave, the Prince Consort gropes for False Victoria's hand. She lets out a sigh, soft and small and sad."''</ref> he can only communicate by coughing<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Heart_of_Empire|Heart of Empire|Sunless Skies|}}''"A long pause is broken only by a parchment-dry cough as the Prince Regent stirs. The Princess bounces, taking it as a yes."''</ref> or groaning. Only the real Victoria can elicit a coherent word from him.<ref>[https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Inside_the_Tomb#Interactions Talk with the Prince Consort, ''Sunless Skies''] ''"A sibilant noise worms from the Prince Consort, a sound that could be a word or a release of bacterial gases. "He is a poor conversationalist," supplies the False Victoria without judgement. "Once in a while, She can excite an actual word from him, but that is all.""''</ref>
== Historical Inspiration ==
== Historical Inspiration ==
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Albert_of_Saxe-Coburg_and_Gotha Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha] (full name Franz August Karl Albert Emanuel) was born on August 26, 1819, at Schloss Rosenau near Coburg, in the German duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. He was the second son of Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. In 1840, he married his first cousin, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, becoming the Prince Consort—a title officially granted to him in 1857.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Albert_of_Saxe-Coburg_and_Gotha Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha] was born in 1819 at Schloss Rosenau, a castle near the northern border of the kingdom (now German state) of Bavaria. He was the second son of Duke Ernest I of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, whose respective inherited properties were combined to create the new family title.
Initially, Albert's role as consort was undefined, leading to some public skepticism. However, he gradually became a trusted advisor to Queen Victoria, assisting with state matters and administrative duties. He championed various public causes, including educational reform and the abolition of slavery. Albert played a pivotal role in organizing the Great Exhibition of 1851, which showcased industrial advancements and led to the establishment of institutions like the Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Albert and Victoria had nine children, many of whom married into other European royal families, earning Victoria the nickname "Grandmother of Europe." Albert was deeply involved in his children's education and upbringing.
In 1840, Albert married Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, who was his first cousin, and became the Prince Consort (though this title was only officially granted to him in 1857). The lack of formal definition of Albert's role as Consort led to initial public skepticism, but over time he became a trusted advisor to Queen Victoria, who assisted her with state matters and administrative duties. In this role, he championed educational reform and the abolition of slavery, and played a pivotal role in organizing the Great Exhibition of 1851, which spurred the establishment of institutions like the Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The royal couple had nine children, many of whom married into other European royal families, earning Victoria the nickname "Grandmother of Europe." Albert was a devoted father who was deeply involved in his children's education and upbringing.
At 10:50 p.m. on Saturday, December 14, 1861, Prince Albert, the Prince Consort of Queen Victoria, passed away in the Blue Room at Windsor Castle. He was 42 years old and had been unwell for approximately three weeks. The official cause of death listed on his certificate was "typhoid fever: duration 21 days." However, modern historians have proposed alternative diagnoses, including Crohn’s disease, renal failure, or abdominal cancer. In the weeks leading up to his death, Albert reportedly said to his wife: ''“I do not cling to life. You do; but I set no store by it. I am sure if I had a severe illness I should give up at once. I should not struggle for life. I have no tenacity of life.”''
In December 1861, at the age of 42, Prince Albert passed away in the Blue Room of Windsor Castle after a three-week-long illness. While modern historians have proposed a variety of alternative diagnoses, the officially stated cause of his death was typhoid fever. In the weeks leading up to his death, Albert reportedly told Victoria that should he become severely ill, he would accept his fate and not fight for his life.<ref>{{Citation|https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/The_life_of_His_Royal_Highness_the_Prince_consort_%28IA_cu31924088012590%29.pdf|Theodore Martin, The Life of His Royal Highness the Prince Consort, Vol. 5 p. 415|Wikimedia|}} ''"I do not cling to life. You do; but I set no store by it. If I knew that those I love were well cared for, I should be quite ready to die tomorrow […] I am sure if I had a severe illness, I should give up at once. I should not struggle for life. I have no tenacity for life."''</ref>
Albert's death had a profound impact on Queen Victoria and the British monarchy. Historian Helen Rappaport described the effect as "enormous," noting that it was perceived as a national calamity, with Britain effectively losing its king. Queen Victoria entered a deep state of mourning, withdrawing from public life and refusing to appear at social functions. She wore black mourning attire for the remaining 40 years of her life and maintained Albert's rooms as if he were still alive, a practice that included daily rituals such as delivering hot water for his morning shave. In memory of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria commissioned several monuments, including the Royal Mausoleum at Frogmore, where both are interred.
Albert's death had a profound impact on Queen Victoria and the British monarchy as a whole; it was perceived as a national calamity, and the grieving Queen Victoria withdrew from public appearances and social functions. She would only wear black mourning attire for the remaining 40 years of her life, and maintained Albert's rooms as if he were still alive, right down to the smallest of details like delivering hot water for his morning shave. In memory of her beloved Prince Consort, Queen Victoria commissioned several monuments, including the Royal Mausoleum at Frogmore, where both she and Albert are interred.
==References==
==References==
Revision as of 19:39, 11 April 2025
"The Traitor Empress' consort became dangerously ill just before the Fall. Typhoid, apparently. It seems he's quite recovered and lives happily to this day. The air down here must have been good for his health."[1]
The Consort, alias Prince Albert, is the Empress's not-exactly-dead husband.
"...enjoyed such invariable good health... and lived so regularly all his life, that the public thought nothing of his illness until they were startled yesterday morning by the bulletin announcing a restless night and the appearance of unsatisfactory symptoms..."[2]
Forty years ago — give or take — London found itself in a terrible predicament. Britain's Prince Consort, long admired and beloved, fell ill with typhoid fever. No one expected his condition to take a turn for the worse, as he had been in generally good health, but on December 15, 1861, his death was announced.[3]
The newly widowed Queen was consumed by grief. She intended to wear jet-black mourning dress for the rest of her days, and ordered the palace to be shuttered to keep out sunlight.[4] Her love for her Prince Consort was boundless enough that she would do anything to bring him back — and that love drew the attention of the Masters of the Bazaar.[5] They came with an offer:[6] they would preserve the life of her beloved in exchange for everything she owned, including London.[7] The Masters kept their word, as London became the Fifth City to be purchased by the Echo Bazaar and transported to the Neath, and the Consort lived again. The royal couple even consummated their marriage once more, resulting in the conception of the Captivating Princess.[8] But the Masters could only do so much for someone who had already died, and it soon became apparent that the Consort's physical and cognitive faculties were heavily impaired.[9]
In life, the Prince Consort had a rounded face framed by sideburns,[10] and grey and melancholy eyes.[11] He was a talented amateur musician, and legend has it that he charmed the Queen by playing the violin for her when they first courted each other.[12] In his current state of not-quite-death, he wears a porcelain death mask with a serene smile on its face, which hides his decayed, discolored flesh[13] - but the masks are apparently also prone to decay, which is strange for porcelain.[14] Busts of the Consort are popular throughout London,[15] though they have grown rather unnerving, with staring eyes and gaping mouths.[16]
The Shuttered Palace bans music and loud noise, but the Consort still loves to watch symphonic performances.[17] As such, these are permitted on rare occasions, and the music might even coax his pallid face into the barest hint of a smile.[18] The Palace states that the Consort continues to organize concerts and banquets himself,[19] but this may be for the sake of appearances since he is unable to speak or move.[9] Along the same lines, the Shuttered Palace's servants maintain his room as if he was still actively using it.[20] That said, a former candidate for Imperial Artist-in-Residence claims to have had some sort of dispute with the Consort years ago that is implied to have ruined her chances.[21]
A stoker sings a patriotic anthem: "She laid him in the stone's grey grip, My love no more is he; O Albion, I've no consort but thee."[22]
In the Sunless Skies timeline, the Consort is "alive,"[23] but New London still laments his "death" and a day is dedicated to mourning his passing.[24] Entombed in the Most Serene Mausoleum, he lies on a bed of velvet cushions atop a white marble altar, and is kept company by a doppelganger of Queen Victoria.[25][26] Visitors throng to the tomb to see the pale face of the Prince Consort;[27] further payment is required to get a better, or private, view.[28] He remains in a state of half-consciousness,[26] and while he can still turn his head and move his limbs with effort,[29][30] he can only communicate by coughing[31] or groaning. Only the real Victoria can elicit a coherent word from him.[32]
Historical Inspiration
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was born in 1819 at Schloss Rosenau, a castle near the northern border of the kingdom (now German state) of Bavaria. He was the second son of Duke Ernest I of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, whose respective inherited properties were combined to create the new family title.
In 1840, Albert married Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, who was his first cousin, and became the Prince Consort (though this title was only officially granted to him in 1857). The lack of formal definition of Albert's role as Consort led to initial public skepticism, but over time he became a trusted advisor to Queen Victoria, who assisted her with state matters and administrative duties. In this role, he championed educational reform and the abolition of slavery, and played a pivotal role in organizing the Great Exhibition of 1851, which spurred the establishment of institutions like the Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The royal couple had nine children, many of whom married into other European royal families, earning Victoria the nickname "Grandmother of Europe." Albert was a devoted father who was deeply involved in his children's education and upbringing.
In December 1861, at the age of 42, Prince Albert passed away in the Blue Room of Windsor Castle after a three-week-long illness. While modern historians have proposed a variety of alternative diagnoses, the officially stated cause of his death was typhoid fever. In the weeks leading up to his death, Albert reportedly told Victoria that should he become severely ill, he would accept his fate and not fight for his life.[33]
Albert's death had a profound impact on Queen Victoria and the British monarchy as a whole; it was perceived as a national calamity, and the grieving Queen Victoria withdrew from public appearances and social functions. She would only wear black mourning attire for the remaining 40 years of her life, and maintained Albert's rooms as if he were still alive, right down to the smallest of details like delivering hot water for his morning shave. In memory of her beloved Prince Consort, Queen Victoria commissioned several monuments, including the Royal Mausoleum at Frogmore, where both she and Albert are interred.
↑My Kingdom for a Pig, Fallen London"...enjoyed such invariable good health... and lived so regularly all his life, that the public thought nothing of his illness until they were startled yesterday morning by the bulletin announcing a restless night and the appearance of unsatisfactory symptoms..." [Editor's note: This is a snippet from a newspaper announcing the death of Albert in 1861]
↑My Kingdom for a Pig, Fallen London"Hushed hallways. Velvet. Black velvet. A scratch as matches flare and candles burn in the blackness. Speak softly, for my head still aches. I cannot bear the sun. Only candles. Bring them closer. I wish to see his face. Bring me the laudanum, quietly, quickly, for my head aches."
↑My Kingdom for a Pig, Fallen London"Nobody can enter. Nobody can leave. Except for the thing on the roof. Have you witnessed its wings? Amongst the towers, perching, preening, entering and leaving when its talons tap the shuttered windowpane. Tap, tap, tap. Let me in. I have come bearing gifts. Tap, tap, tap. Let us in. We have come bearing gifts."
↑Mr Pages: Theories or Manifesto for Archie, Mask of the Rose"Her consort was dying. A loss not to be contemplemitted. We preserved him. In exchange: everything else she possessed. London and all that lies in fluminate propinquity, together with the oddments of the imperial hoard."
↑My Kingdom for a Pig, Fallen London"Listen: this is how love sounds. Excessive love and affection. Heavenly love and happiness. Beauty, sweetness, gentleness. My dearest, dearest, dear husband! How can I ever be thankful enough? He clasps her in his arms, and they kiss each other again and again. Their daughter watches through curtains whose folds fall black and heavy from the canopy."
↑ 9.09.1Pose as a servant, Fallen London"Steps in the throne chamber. She's left – but for a moment, perhaps to recompose herself. Your chance. You walk in. The Consort is still on his throne, a placid porcelain mask covering his features. He doesn't move, or make any sound at all. [...]"
↑Watch, furtively, Fallen London"The man who stepped out of the fog squirms out of her embrace. His face is delicate and rounded, ringed with sideburns; his skin would look perfectly youthful if the blood wasn't draining from it in horror."
↑Consonant Violin, Fallen London"Said to have been played by the Consort when he first romanced the Empress at Kensington Palace."
↑A Trade in Faces, Fallen London"[...] The Consort leans forward. He wears a death-mask of perfect porcelain, serene and smiling. [...] The face beneath is a rotten grey, the colour of dead fish on a beach. When he sips, tea dribbles through his beard. She dabs it away with the lace of her sleeve. "Wait," she tells him, "ein Kuss." Tenderly, she kisses his ragged lips, then slides his mask back down."
↑Reunion, Fallen London"They keep putting masks on grandfather! Grandmother thinks it will restore him. But there's nothing behind the mask. They rot on top of each other. His face is a grave! There's no future here!"
↑Your symphony is complete!, Fallen London"Music is usually banned from the Shuttered Palace. However, the Consort is old-fashioned and likes the occasional symphony, so the Empress is prepared to make an exception. But what manner of music will there be?"
↑An exuberant cannonade, Fallen London"And you begin. The windows explode immediately. Dust and glass rain down, shaken from the ceiling by your cannon. The Empress' knuckles are bone white as she clutches her gilded chair. […] glorious. […] Was that a smile on the pale, lost face of the Consort?"
↑The Shuttered Palace, Fallen London"The Traitor Empress hasn't left the palace in thirty years. Her consort still arranges concerts and banquets in the darkly glittering rooms and dripping gardens. You may be invited. But go carefully. She dislikes sudden movements."
↑Reunion, Fallen London"As the gaslights are heightened, several chamberlains enter and begin to arrange a desk near the great window. When the Prince enquires what is happening, you are informed that this is the hour when the Consort would engage in correspondence. Pens are arranged, inkwells filled. Then the chamberlains leave. No one enters the room. An hour later, they return to clear away the desk."
↑Take tea with a Reclusive Novelist, Fallen London"She was the finest writer of her decade. Her advice on prose is impossibly valuable. Perhaps one day she'll relent and tell you what happened between her and the Consort, all those years ago."
↑Heart of Empire, Sunless Skies"He lies in the centre of the structure, mounted on a marble altar, caught in a beam of light, resting on velvet cushions. While the ravages of his illness are quite obvious, he's so well preserved that you could almost think him alive. At which point he coughs. The Prince Consort lives. It is not a life any would wish for, but it is life."
↑Airs of London, Sunless Skies"Banners haunt the streets in black and gold. Imperial carriages trawl down the sloping heights of the city. Crowds have gathered along the streets, dropping pale flowers before the approaching vehicles. A stranger in the crowd informs you that today the city mourns the Prince-Consort."
↑Inside the Tomb, Sunless Skies"Given the nature of the tomb, it is not unpleasantly appointed. The Prince Consort lolls on a bed of velvet cushions, bejewelled and foul against the white marble of his altar. Beside him, an expressionless woman of startlingly familiar countenance: this is either Queen Victoria herself or a remarkable doppelganger."
↑Join the reverent crowds at the Prince Consort's Tomb, Sunless Skies"A few sovereigns will buy you a few minutes at the sepulchre. [...] Crowds of visitors in mourning jostle for a better position. [...] You are afforded a brief glimpse of the Prince's haunted marble face, before you are ushered away."
↑Make a swift escape, Sunless Skies"As you leave, the Prince Consort gropes for False Victoria's hand. She lets out a sigh, soft and small and sad."
↑Heart of Empire, Sunless Skies"A long pause is broken only by a parchment-dry cough as the Prince Regent stirs. The Princess bounces, taking it as a yes."
↑Talk with the Prince Consort, Sunless Skies"A sibilant noise worms from the Prince Consort, a sound that could be a word or a release of bacterial gases. "He is a poor conversationalist," supplies the False Victoria without judgement. "Once in a while, She can excite an actual word from him, but that is all.""
