WI: Queen Victoria Gave Albert The Title of 'King Consort'?

What would the effects be if Queen Victoria had named her beloved husband, Albert, as King Consort as she first planned?
 
Maybe it is accepted as an unique title only for Albert during his life time. Question is, If It gives him any influence.

My knowledge is that he had tons of influence already. I do imagine that with this title, he will begin to believe himself to be the King as opposed to the King Consort.
 
It was commentated that he was King in all but name later in their marriage - initially Victoria refused point-blank to share anything with him.
Melbourne advised the Queen against trying to make him King Consort (partly because there was much public hostility to the German marriage and partly because Melbourne had no majority in Parliament) - also the historic precedent wasn't particularly impressive - Mary I's husband was made King (though power rested with Mary) but Philip was hardly a shining example of popularity, Mary II's husband was of course King in fact, Anne's husband was perfectly satisfied with his Dukedom. Albert himself didn't want a British peerage - he is reputed to have considered that far lower than his own style as a Duke of Saxony - and to be honest Parliament wouldn't have been overjoyed at him gaining a seat in the Lords either (they were still rather peeved that the new King of Hanover was still able to sit there as Duke of Cumberland).
Prince Consort was the Queen's decision and by then Albert's personal popularity was considerably better - it was arguable whether creating him King Consort in the late 50s would have been as difficult as in the late 30s.
 

TruthfulPanda

Gone Fishin'
Thinking of it - I fail to grasp the significance of the terminology here - King-Consort, Prince-Consort, First Bedwarmer, The Stud that Was Promised, Supreme Ovelord - still househusband to Queen Regnant ...
 
Phillip Mountbatten gets to be titled King-Consort too.

And Henrik of Denmark wouldn't had always complained that he is not king or at least he could had use Albert as precedent.

But would this be spread more widely? Could king-consort title used later and even outside of UK?
 
To be honest its only been used formally twice for Albert and Henrik (who didn't like it) - the Dutch Queen's husbands merely were Prince of the Netherlands I believe and Philip is of course merely a Prince of the UK and a Duke (technically following the precedent of Queen Anne's husband rather than Queen Victoria's).

There is of course the likelihood of a Princess Consort if Charles sticks with the Palace line announced on his second marriage - though legally of course on his accession his wife automatically becomes Queen Consort - there is no provision in British law for a wife not to share her husband's titles and styles - and I suspect his own inclination will be that Camilla be Queen.
 

SsgtC

Banned
My knowledge is that he had tons of influence already. I do imagine that with this title, he will begin to believe himself to be the King as opposed to the King Consort.
He pretty much was King from what I've read. IDK how accurate the statement is, but I've seen it said that when Victoria spoke, it was with Albert's words.
 
Albert was extremely influential, yes, but would this expand power more than before? I would imagine that, especially in the mid-19th century, he would be treated much better than before, and he would become an equal to Victoria. This also begs the question of whether or not he would become Albert I, although there is the possibility of the consort principal being used.
 
Albert was extremely influential, yes, but would this expand power more than before? I would imagine that, especially in the mid-19th century, he would be treated much better than before, and he would become an equal to Victoria. This also begs the question of whether or not he would become Albert I, although there is the possibility of the consort principal being used.
Albert may have had influence over the Queen Victoria, perhaps willingly by her, but any influence he had, or power was always through her as she was sovereign and he was not. Even if she made decisions by deferring to him on everything, all his power was through her. He had no constitutional authority. So if she were to die before him, king-Consort or not, his influence and power would wane on the succession of his son the future King Edward VII. Albert would then become the "Dowager King?" Then any power and or influence he may have would rest on his relationship with his eldest son, the constitutional and sovereign king. (Where would that be once "Bertie" is his own master?)
 
Albert may have had influence over the Queen Victoria, perhaps willingly by her, but any influence he had, or power was always through her as she was sovereign and he was not. Even if she made decisions by deferring to him on everything, all his power was through her. He had no constitutional authority. So if she were to die before him, king-Consort or not, his influence and power would wane on the succession of his son the future King Edward VII. Albert would then become the "Dowager King?" Then any power and or influence he may have would rest on his relationship with his eldest son, the constitutional and sovereign king. (Where would that be once "Bertie" is his own master?)

That in and on itself might be risked, as he may still die early like he did IRL. It does also bring in what his legacy will be like as a King Consort.
 
No real difference at best. It wouldn't give him a seat in the Lords, any kind of extra official role or any kind of co-regency. Plus it's highly unlikely as everyone was always against it; the cabinet of the day, Parliament, the public, the aristocracy, ex ex. Not to mention the legal argument that only Parliament could make him King Consort (not sure if that argument was correct or not, but Victoria and her ministers believed it was) and such approval was never forthcoming.
 
My understanding of it would be that Albert would be treated better abroad - where the disparity in rank between he and his wife was always an awkward issue apparently - but I'm with His Imperial Majesty above that it wouldn't make much difference. The problem with his creation as consort was that abroad he was still addressed as "Durchlaucht" (Serene Highness) and still ranked as a mere duke of Saxony, not the husband of a queen of England/Britain. IIRC Victoria wanted Parliament to create darling Albert prince consort with the style of Royal Highness, which would've given him precedence abroad over other princes of lower rank, however, Parliament refused and Victoria created darling Albert as prince consort herself, however, the fact of the matter is that by the creation (I think it was via order-in-council or somesuch - it's been years since I've looked at Victoria's bio on my shelf) it gave him precedence only in Britain, not abroad.

Think of it as Matt Smith's line as Philip of Greece in The Crown: "And right now I'm outranked by my eight-year-old son". Albert would've been in a similar situation - except that, unlike Philip, he hadn't given up everything to marry Victoria, so he at least still had the "Serene Highness" he was born with.
 
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