The Prince Albert piercing compromises of the piercing of the male genitalia, from the outside of frenulum through the urethra. The piercer uses a reception tube that they placed into the urethra, which ensures the needle exits at the correct point of the genitalia. There is a nerve bundle running along the center of the frenulum, and most piercers prefer to avoid the bundle, and others do not. Usually, the piercer will center the pierce if the bearer is circumcised, but if he isn’t circumcised, the piercer will approach the side of the frenulum because the skin in the area needs to be able to reposition itself.
Prince Albert piercing is named after Queen Victoria’s consort, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Allegedly, he wore a ring attached to his genitalia that was then strapped to his thigh in order to maintain a smooth line in the tight trousers worn at that period. There is absolutely no valid way to verify if this practice by the Prince was true. There’s is even a suggestion that it was Queen Victoria’s grandson, Prince Albert Victor who had the genitalia piercing.
Prince Albert’s piercings can be stretched to a 0 to 00 gauge, meaning approximately a 11/32 inch diameter. The piercing generally are pierced at a 10 gauge to 12 gauge and in case of the 12 gauge size piercing, these are usually stretched immediately, or right after only a partial healing. Outside of this stage, the Prince Albert piercing is rarely seen below a 10 gauge. 4 to 6 gauge is the most common stretching point.
The jewelery worn for a Prince Albert piercing is a Prince’s Wand, a curved barbell or a captive bead. The Prince’s Wand is unusual because it consists of a hollow tube with a threaded end cap. The tube is inserted into the urethra and then a stem is inserted through the piercing and into another threaded hole on the side of the tube (kind of like a policeman’s nightstick). The curved barbells are about 3/8 inches in length, making one ball sit on the lower side of the genitalia and the other ball sit at the urethral opening. This is to prevent discomfort that will come from the jewelery moving about during daily wear.
