Victoria and Albert travelled widely throughout Britain and Ireland during their marriage, both for duty and for pleasure. They were genuinely interested in visiting different parts of the country, and it was important that the public had the opportunity to see them. Private visits were made to the country estates of the nobility, and they travelled to cities such as Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham to open new civic buildings and witness industrial progress at first hand.

The royal family’s travels were extensively reported in the press, and some newspapers employed artists to illustrate their coverage. Victoria and Albert read the news stories and came to appreciate the work of these graphic artists, engaging some to paint watercolours for their own albums.