When Prince Albert died in 1861 Queen Victoria went into deep mourning and ceased all public duties. By 1866 she had still not made any public appearances. Wolverhampton, like many other towns, raised a subscription to commission a statue in Albert’s memory. Queen Victoria was consulted and she asked for him to be shown mounted on his favourite horse. Thomas Thorneycroft, a renowned animal sculptor, was employed and the town council asked Queen Victoria to come to Wolverhampton to unveil the finished statue.