Prince Albert v Strange facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Prince Albert v Strange |
|
|---|---|
| Court | High Court of Chancery |
| Decided | 1849 |
Prince Albert v Strange was an important court case in England in 1849. It was heard by the High Court of Chancery, which was a special court that dealt with fairness and justice. This case helped create a new area of law called "confidence law."
The court decided that Prince Albert was right. They issued an injunction, which is a court order that stops someone from doing something. In this case, it stopped a man named Strange from publishing a list of Prince Albert's private drawings. The judge, Lord Cottenham, said that the case wasn't just about who owned the drawings. It was also about someone breaking a trust or agreement.
Contents
The Royal Hobby and a Secret Sale
In the 1840s, both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert enjoyed a hobby: creating etchings. These were special drawings made by scratching designs onto copper plates. They would then use these plates to print copies of their artwork.
They gave their copper plates to a printer in Windsor named John Brown. He was supposed to make copies for them to share with friends or give as gifts. After printing, Brown was supposed to return the plates and the good copies.
However, one of Brown's employees, named Middleton, secretly made extra copies of the etchings. Middleton then sold a set of 63 different prints for £5. He sold them to Jasper Tomsett Judge. Judge was a writer who had previously written a book about the Queen's finances.
The Exhibition Plan and the Lawsuit
Jasper Tomsett Judge planned to show these private etchings to the public. To do this, he created a catalogue, which is like a list or brochure, describing the etchings. His publisher, William Strange, printed 50 copies of this catalogue.
Two copies of the catalogue were even sent to Windsor Castle, where the Queen and Prince Albert lived. When Prince Albert found out about the secret copies and the planned exhibition, he was very upset.
Prince Albert went to court to stop Judge and Strange. He asked the court to make them give back the etchings. He also wanted to stop the exhibition and prevent the catalogue from being published. The court agreed with Prince Albert and granted his request. This decision was important because it showed that people's private information and creations could be protected by law, even if they weren't strictly "owned" in the usual sense.
Where Are the Etchings Now?
Many of the etchings made by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert still exist today. The Royal Collection, which belongs to the British royal family, has several volumes of these etchings. Queen Victoria made 62 plates, and Prince Albert made 25.
In 1926, King George V gave an almost complete set of these prints to the British Museum. Another volume with 74 etchings is kept at Harewood House. This particular volume was once owned by Prince Albert's private secretary.
It's interesting to note that no copies of Mr. Strange's original catalogue are known to have survived.
See also
- Privacy in English law
