Osborne House
 Royal Britain |
(England - Isle of Wight)
Osborne House, the main royal connection with the Isle of Wight, really put the island on the international tourist trail. A few years after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were married they decided that they needed a country residence away from the hustle and bustle of London. They chose the Osborne Estate just east of Cowes. Since then the island has not looked back, the royal interest bringing a somewhat obscure island to popular attention both at home and abroad.
The old house that stood on the estate was demolished and was replaced by the current italionate villa, designed jointly by Prince Albert and Thomas Cubitt. The House has much to offer the visitor. Set in beautiful grounds, Osborne House was completed in 1851, although the Durbar room was not added until 1890. Osborne House is a very large house although it was not designed or built as a palace. Its rather unusual architecture and decorative features, however, appear very palatial and have been copied around the world in similar designs. The Renaissance style terrace, fountains and statues at the front of the House together with the extensive grounds, give it a particularly unique identity.
After the death of Prince Albert in 1861, Queen Victoria spent much time at Osborne House and it is where she died in 1901. Much of the House has been left untouched by time and as such a visit offers a good insight into royal life during the Victorian age. In addition to the House there is a museum, which contains numerous personal exhibits, including Queen Victoria's ingenious bathing machine.
Those visitors who are interested by royalty and particularly the Victorian age cannot afford to leave Osborne House out of his itinerary.