Thursday 2 August 2012

The Royal Residences of Queen Victoria - Osborne House


Osborne House, Isle of Wight, 1897
[From my Own Collection]

During Queen Victoria's long reign she made use a number of royal residences, primarily Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace in London,  Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, Holyrood House in Edinburgh, and Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands.

This series primarily features 'behind the scenes' period images from Queen Victoria's Private Apartments which will attempt to portray something of Her Majesty's personal world away from the public gaze. Actual original extant photographs or images of Queen Victoria when resident at each Royal residence are also featured. Our third blog in this series features images taken at Queen Victoria's "Dear little home" of Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.


Queen Victoria's Private Sitting Room, 1873
Note her writing desk set up in the centre of the room


Queen Victoria's Private Sitting Room


A Lithograph of Queen Victoria at her desk in her Private Sitting Room
as one of her Daughers (?) plays the piano.


Osborne House, 1857


Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and children, taken at Osborne House,
taken on the Queen's Birthday, 24 May 1859.
(L to R) Leopold, Louise, Queen Victoria, Arthur, Alice, Vicky,
Beatrice, Prince Albert, Lenchen.


The Dining Room. A watercolour by James Roberts, 1851


Princess Louise with Queen Victoria and her Highland Servant
John Brown at Osborne House in 1863


The Drawing Room


The Drawing Room


The Drawing Room, 1885


Queen Victoria with her Grandson Prince George
and members of her family, 1890.


The Drawing Room, 1896


The Drawing Room


"Four Generations" - Queen Victoria, Edward
The Prince of Wales, Prince George,
and Prince Edward, 5th Aug 1899


The Audience Room


Queen Victoria (in centre) in the garden with members of her family, 1898


The Christmas Display in the Indian "Durbar Room", Dec 1900


Queen Victoria with members of her family, taken by Hugh Mullins, 1898
[L to R]
At Rear :  Prince Leopold of Battenberg,  Princess Henry [Beatrice] of Battenberg,
Princess Ena of Battenberg, Princess Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein.
In Centre : Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, Queen Victoria.
In Front : Prince Alexander of Battenberg, Prince Maurice of Battenberg.


 Prince Albert's Dressing Room.
A watercolour by James Roberts 1851


Queen Victoria and her devoted Scottish Manservant John Broan,
a print after Sir Edwin Landseer, 1870


The Council Chamber


The Council Room.
A Watercolour by James Roberts, 1861

The Chapel


Queen Victoria seated in her "carriage-and-four" ready for a drive.
One of her Highland Attendants sits alongside the driver while two
out-riders wait for the Queen's departure. Image published 1897.
[Image courtesy of C. Duclos, Paris]  


The Ladies Drawing Room.
This room may have been used by Queen Victoria's Ladies in Waiting
and Senior Female Staff


The Marble [Mosaic] Corridor.
A watercolour by James Roberts, 1852


The Marble [Mosaic] Corridor



Queen Victoria's devoted servant, Abdul Karim ('The 'Munshi'),
attending on Her Majesty as she works on her red boxes in a
tent set up in the grounds of Osborne House, 1893



The Billiard Room, 1894


Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their children, taken on the terrace at
Osborne House by Leonia Caldesi


The Bridal Suite arranged for Princess Alice and Prince Louis of Hesse
after their Marriage at Osborne House on the 1st July 1862.


Osborne House, Taken circa 1900


Queen Victoria 'at peace' in her bedroom in Osborne House
after her death on the 22nd January 1901.
Note the picture of Prince Albert above her.



Bibliography :

- "Life of Queen Victoria", T Nelson & Sons, London, 1897 (from my personal collection).
 - Various written and Internet sources.
- Images are only from my own personal collection where specifically indicated. These may be freely copied for non-commercial use providing a link is given back to this page.
- All other images have been "collected" over the last couple of years and I have not always recorded the source. Most appear to be in the public domain or are only low resolution images however if copyright has been infringed please advise me so that I can remove them.


4 comments:

  1. Love it!

    "The dear little home" doesn't look so small, but I suppose it did give the family time away from the daily rush of city life, time to spend quality time together. I particular like your photos of the extended family and closest members of staff - the children might have been privileged, but at least in Osborne House they looked normal.

    Hels
    Art and Architecture, mainly
    Written while travelling

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  2. Beautiful & fascinating photos. I visited Osborne House a couple of years ago, and although a grand house, it really does have an intimate atmosphere. I loved it, especially the portraits of Queen Victoria's Indian subjects hanging in a corridor - full of character and almost alive!

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  3. Is Queen Victoria's bedroom haunted? I visited some years ago and I heard weeping, my husband and guide couldn't hear it. I had a sense of sadness

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    Replies
    1. Interesting! Something I am not aware of but the same thing has been said of a number of well known historical buildings where visitors have sensed a spirit that obviously has a strong connection through happiness or great sadness.

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