Historic royal monument ‘eroding’ because of tourist deluge | UK | News

The historic stone monument built by Queen Victoria needs “major repairs” due to “serious erosion” caused by the influx of tourists. The 11-metre-high pyramid was built to commemorate Prince Albert after his death in 1861 and has welcomed around 70,000 visitors a year since then. A spokesman for Balmoral Castle, the Royal Family’s Scottish estate where the pyramid is located, said the ground surrounding the pyramid was “seriously eroded”.

The Pyramid of Prince Albert forms part of a popular walking route through the 50,000-acre castle grounds and is the largest of many cairns built to commemorate royal deaths and marriages. “Due to the increase in visitors to the Prince Albert Pyramid, the ground surrounding the cairn has been severely eroded and the cairn has been undermined,” the spokesman said. “To remedy this situation, we are undertaking a major repair and restoration project on the ground immediately surrounding the cairn.”

They said the restoration project would aim to “stabilize the pyramid’s structure for future generations to enjoy.”

Erected in 1862, a year after Prince Albert’s death, the pyramid is the largest cairn on the Balmoral grounds and is one of 11 pyramids built by Queen Victoria, who purchased the royal residence in 1852.

It bears the following inscription: “In loving memory of the great and good Prince Consort Albert, erected beside the broken heart of Victoria, 21st August 1862.”

Queen Victoria married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1840 and they were together until her death, leaving behind nine children.

Among other mounds on the grounds are commemorations of the marriages of the Queen’s children and a mound symbolizing the purchase of the nearby Ballochbuie Forest.

Balmoral has warned tourists to “exercise caution” when visiting the Prince Albert Pyramid in the coming months as restoration continues.

The site also apologized for any inconvenience the “essential repair work” might cause.