London’s Lewdest Etchings

Number 27: Window of the Albert Tavern

This charming little boozer can be found at 52 Victoria Street. Or should that be Victoria’s treat? For if you look closely at the frosted windows, you’ll notice a blatant representation of what we presume is the late consort’s penis. The august member is artfully depicted at the moment of discharge, with a stream of manspatter tastefully woven into a delicate melange of foliage and woodland scenery. The lithographic loins of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha also bear a couple of ambiguous circular marks – perhaps symbolising the eponymous, though probably apocryphal, Prince Albert piercing. The royal family’s blood might not be blue, but its windows certainly are.