A brief description of the events and the background

Background
When Prince Albert, who was Queen Victoria's husband, died in 1861, she began a long period of mourning from which she never full recovered.  Deeply touched by this, the people of Wolverhampton led by Alderman Underhill started to raise money to erect a statue in his honour. As the collection progressed, Queen Victoria was contacted and asked as to what form the statue should take. She decided upon a statue of him mounted on horseback and dressed in the uniform of a Field Marshall. Alderman Underhill actually paid for the plinth himself, and the statue was completed in 1866. It was decided to ask Queen Victoria to come in person to unveil the statue. It seemed extremely unlikely that she would come as she had already refused similar requests from Liverpool and Manchester. The Mayor, two Aldermen, the Town Clerk and the local M.P. visited the Palace and were told that the Queen had agreed to unveil the statue and would be coming to the town on November 30th, which was in just nine days time.

Preparations
Due to the short notice, work went ahead at full speed. The streets were full of tradesman who were cleaning-up and decorating buildings. A pavilion and a grandstand to house two thousand spectators were erected in the Market Place. Gas-lit illuminations and a series of triumphal arches depicting local industry were built along the route. The Earl of Dudley donated coal for a large coal arch which was built across Wednesfield Road. It weighed almost three tons. Albert's statue which cost £1,150 was veiled in red, white and blue curtains.

The unveiling
The 30th November was a bitterly cold day. The Royal carriages which had been kept at the Swan
Hotel arrived at Low Level Station at about 1.10pm.

Queen Victoria arrived with other members of her family and John Brown who was her manservant. The procession of open carriages travelled into the town up Railway Street, along Queen Street, Dudley Street, Snow Hill, Cleveland Street, Salop Street, Darlington Street, and finally to High Green and Market Place. The day had been declared a holiday and so the streets were lined with thousands of people who had come to the town to witness the event. When the Queen entered the pavilion she heard a speech by the Mayor, John Morris and being so pleased with her reception she borrowed a sword from Lord Alfred Paget and promptly knighted him. The sculptor of the statue Thomas Thorneycroft (1815-1885) drew a cord to unveil the statue.

He had previously produced a statue of the Queen on horseback for the Great Exhibition of 1851 and another of Albert was unveiled in Halifax in the previous year. After the unveiling the Queen walked round to inspect the statue accompanied by the cheers of the crowd. The Royal Party returned by a different route going from High Green along Cook Street, Skinner Street, School Street, Waterloo Road, Stafford Street, Little Berry Street, Princess Street, Queen Street and Railway Street. When the procession arrived at the Station, lunch was provided in three dining rooms that were built for the occasion by Lovatt, a local builder. Activities in the town continued well into the night with large numbers of people flocking to view the illuminations and a spectacular firework display which was held at the racecourse.

The two sides of a small medallion (about 23mm diameter) struck to commemorate the visit, possibly by the corporation but more probably as a commercial venture.