How did Prince Albert become a target of Punch’s early cartoons?

In the context of 19th-century graphic arts, Prince Albert became a target of Punch’s early cartoons primarily due to his status as an unpopular foreign prince and his active involvement in the arts.1

Specifically, Punch satirized the Prince in a series titled “Punch’s Cartoons” following a competition he organized to select designs for fresco paintings intended to decorate the new Houses of Parliament. When the proposed designs were exhibited, many were found to be ludicrous or unsuitable for such a heroic scale, providing the magazine with ample material for ridicule.1

Beyond this specific event, Punch was a fiercely democratic publication that applied a "savage treatment" to the royal family, consistent with the satirical traditions of the previous century. While Prince Albert was often viewed by the public as an "enemy alien" during his lifetime, Punch’s editorial stance was driven less by simple anti-royalism and more by a commitment to being "anti-humbug," targeting perceived pretension wherever it appeared.123