Cast of Prince Albert's hand
This life-size sculpture of Prince Albert’s right hand was made from a cast taken on the 14th December 1861 just after The Prince's death.
Multiple variations of this cast were produced and one was placed in The Queen's coffin after her death, it is also speculated that Victoria also slept with a plaster cast of Albert's hand although there is no credible source to this claim.
This specific life-size sculpted right hand in white marble, belonging to Prince Albert, with his wedding ring on the small finger was sculpted by William Theed in 1861.
William Theed had been previously commissioned by the Royal couple to sculpt not only realistic busts of Victoria, Albert and the Royal court but he was also commissioned to sculpt a cast of Princess Alice’s hand in 1857. Alongside Theed, both Abraham Kent and Mary Thornycroft also produced sculptures of the Royal Children's limbs, perhaps in a bid to capture their infancy permanently.
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