Prince Albert Victor planting a ‘Wellingtonia gigantea’ tree at Cleethorpes Pier Gardens 1885.

An etching from the Illustrated London News showing Prince Albert Victor planting a giant sequoia/redwood (Wellingtonia gigantea) tree to mark the opening of Cleethorpes Cliff Gardens on 2nd July 1885. He used a silver and ebony spade. The day was the culmination of Sir Edward Watkin’s vision for Cleethorpes. He was present at the tree planting ceremony. Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale was the eldest son of the Prince (later King Edward VII) and Princess of Wales. He was 21 years old at the time of the ceremony. Prince Albert Victor died of pneumonia in 1892, aged just 28. What happened to the tree Prince Albert Victor planted? No clues can be found as to what happened to it.