During restoration, virtually the entire upper half of the monument was dismantled and last summer English Heritage began to reassemble the spire. The lead which covered the iron core, which a failure in design allowed to rust, is now stable involving the removal and replacement of over 100 tons of lead.

The statue of Prince Albert, two-and-a-half times larger than life size, has been re-gilded with a double coating of protective gold leaf - 675 twenty-page books of 24 carat gold leaf were used, costing £50,000. The statue shows Prince Albert seated and holding a catalogue of the Great Exhibition of 1851, one of his greatest public achievements.

The orb and cross have been re-gilded and given new ornamentation following a chequered history. The original 1872 version was shot down by anti-aircraft fire during the Second World War and not replaced until 1955. Unfortunately, the new 1950s version was placed some five feet lower and the cross no longer faced the Albert Hall opposite but had been placed at an angle of 90 degrees to the original. The 1950s version also omitted the glass 'jewels' that decorated the original. Now, complete with new 'jewels', is has been re-positioned at the correct angle.

The upper levels are a visual feast. The Venetian mosaics, four allegorical scenes representing Architecture, Painting, Sculpture and Poetry, have been repaired. Ten years ago, tiny frost- damaged pieces of mosaic pelted passers by. Today, with help from the Chief Mosaicist at St. Mark's in Venice, Cavaliere Giovanni Cucco, each lost piece has been replaced. Cavaliere Cucco examined the mosaics with the aid of a tuning fork and a stethoscope to establish the

levels of water penetration behind them. Fortunately, far less had to be replaced than was originally feared. Glass in 130 colours was sourced from Italy to replace missing pieces.

Eight-foot high gilded angels now raise their arms heavenwards from the spire. The angels were re-gilded at a workshop in Gloucestershire, along with the statues of the Christian and Moral Virtues from half-way up the Memorial which are also now back in place.

High above ground, Albert's personal cypher 'A' appears on every tile. Ornate stonework - turrets, miniature spires, mythical animals - has acquired the pale sheen of newly cleaned century-old gilding. From afar, the Memorial will shimmer like the medieval reliquary Scott intended.

Between now and the end of 1998, English Heritage will complete the restoration including the repair of the famous Parnassus Frieze at the base of the Memorial. The 169 statues represent those who were considered at the time to be the world's greatest artistic geniuses from Beethoven and Bach to Leonard da Vinci, Rembrandt, Shakespeare and Dante. (Ends)

For photographs and further information please contact Debra Isaac or Annabel Benoit, English Heritage Public Affairs, on 0171 973 3250. Interviews with craftsman can be arranged by appointment.

Notes to editors

1. Work on the Albert Memorial can be viewed until 8th May. The scaffolding is scheduled to start to come down on 11 May.

2. The Albert Memorial was completed in 1872. The statue of Prince Albert was unveiled four years later in 1876. The original cost of the Albert Memorial was around £150,000.

3. The restoration will cost £11.2 million. The Department of Culture, Media and Sport has given £8.2 million and English Heritage has given a further £2 million. The remainder is being raised through private donations by The Albert Memorial Trust, the Patron of which is HRH The Prince of Wales.

4. Some £250,000 is still needed. The Trust is inviting donors to 'adopt' one of the nearly 200 statues on the Memorial. For £1,000, a donor can adopt one of the 169 figures on the Parnassus Frieze of those considered by the Victorians to be the world's artistic geniuses. For £25,000 donors can adopt one of the four groups of statues representing the Continents. For details ring Nigel Talbot Rice, The Albert Memorial Trust. 0171 973 3799.