Reason why male genital piercing is called a Prince Albert

Welcome to your latest bout of LADbible teaching you something weird and wonderful about the world, for this one it's best if you try to just switch off your imagination and absorb the information.

Trust me, it's going to be much easier this way.

Today we're delving into the weird world of genital piercings, and to be more specific it's time to find out why a certain type of impalement of the male implement is referred to as a Prince Albert.

To get one of these you go in for a procedure (which it's best not to visualise) as a metal ring pierces through the skin at the tip of your penis and then exits through your urethra.

I did tell you not to visualise it, and it sounds like a wholly unpleasant experience to undergo as the penis has lots of nerve endings.

Please appreciate that the banana represents something else. (Getty Stock Photo)

Quite why you'd want to go through such a painful procedure is baffling but if you need a ring on your ding-a-ling that's how it's done.

So what has Prince Albert got to do with any of this?

The Prince Albert in question is the German bloke who married his cousin Queen Victoria, had nine children with her and put on a massive exhibition in The Crystal Palace in London before dying at the age of 42.

That's all well and good, but it doesn't tell us why his name has become attached to a phallic piercing.

Apparently the reason behind this is that back in the 19th century it was the fashion among men to wear tight trousers, and that a gentleman's bulge might be noticeable between his legs in such case.

Going to what I'd call drastic lengths to avoid making a fashion faux pas, some men apparently had their penis pierced and then had the ring attached to a hook to keep it out of sight.

"I thought you'd like it." "I don't." (Roger Fenton/Roger Fenton/Getty Images)

It was likely called a 'dressing ring' at first, but due to rumours that Prince Albert himself had a penile piercing, possible for politer pantaloon presentation, the notion of getting a ring pierced through the tip of your little chap has been named after him.

Yes, apparently Queen Victoria was getting it from a bloke with a ring pierced through his thing.

Then again, short of inventing a time machine and popping back to ask Prince Albert about the contents of his trousers we've no real way of knowing whether the supposed reason is true or not.

The piercing can be painful, will take multiple weeks to heal and you've got a metal ring sticking out the end of your dangly bits.

Rather you than me, mate.

Topics: Health, Royal Family

Joe Harker

Joe graduated from the University of Salford with a degree in Journalism and worked for Reach before joining the LADbible Group. When not writing he enjoys the nerdier things in life like painting wargaming miniatures and chatting with other nerds on the internet. He's also spent a few years coaching fencing. Contact him via [email protected]

@MrJoeHarker