Prince Albert's Anti-Slavery Speech

In June 1840, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, better known as the Prince Consort to Queen Victoria, gave an anti-slavery speech at an international anti-slavery conference. It was his first public royal engagement as consort to the British monarch. And it was the first time any member of the British Royal Family took a public stance on a political issue. Though Britain had abolished slavery in 1807, there was still slavery in parts of the British Empire.

In his speech, His Royal Highness said, "I deeply regret the benevolent and persevering exertions of England, to abolish that atrocious traffic in human beings (at once the desolation of Africa and the blackest stain upon civilized Europe). But I sincerely trust that this great country will not relax in its efforts, until it has finally and forever put an end to a state of things, so repugnant to the spirit of Christianity and the best feelings of our nature…."

That last sentence was heartening to me. The Prince Consort, born as a German prince, was Lutheran. Since Queen Victoria was head of the Church of England and the British Royal Family being completely Anglican since 1688, I imagine Albert converted to the Anglican faith.

 
I bring up the last sentence pleasing me because many critics of the Christian religion claim that the Bible condones slavery. And yet here was the most powerful man in Victorian Great Britain condemning slavery as a grave violation of human rights and dignity and an utter disgrace at odds with everything Christianity stands for. Here was the Prince Consort to Queen Victoria, apologizing for the scourge of slavery and for not doing more to put an end to it throughout the British Empire.

 
The Prince Consort was human and therefore imperfect and flawed like the rest of us. But there is no denying his impact on British society as we see it today. While he supported the industrial advance of the United Kingdom, he also did whatever he could to change the absolutely unacceptable conditions of the working classes and the poor.