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Osborne House and its grounds are open to the public
Osborne House and its grounds are open to the public

Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, England. Cowes is an English Seaport town on the Isle of Wight, an island south of Southampton. The Isle of Wight is an English Island and county in the English Channel between three and five miles (8 km from the south coast of the England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland

Contents

History

The original Osborne House

Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert bought Osborne House on the Isle of Wight in October 1844. Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901 was from 20 June 1837 the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Year 1844 ( MDCCCXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year [1] They were searching for a home away from the stresses of court life. Queen Victoria had spent two holidays on the Isle of Wight as a young girl. [2] The setting of the existing three storey Georgian house appealed to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert; in particular, the views of the Solent reminded Albert of the Bay of Naples in Italy. The Solent is a stretch of Sea separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England. The Gulf of Naples is located in the south western coast of Italy ( Province of Naples, Campania region It soon became obvious that it was too small for their needs. Pulling down the house and building anew was deemed to be the appropriate course of action. [3]

The new Osborne House

The new Osborne House was built in the style of the Italian Renaissance complete with two pseudo campanile towers between 1845 and 1851. Year 1845 ( MDCCCXLV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common 1851 ( MDCCCLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Prince Albert designed the house himself in conjunction with builder Thomas Cubitt [4] the London architect and builder whose company also built the main façade of Buckingham Palace. Thomas Cubitt (born Buxton Norfolk 1788–1855 was the leading master builder in London in the second quarter of the 19th century and also carried out several projects London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch. The sale of the Royal Pavilion at Brighton paid for much of the new house's furnishings. The Royal Pavilion is a former royal residence located in Brighton, England. [5]

The house consisted of the original square wing known as 'The Pavilion', which contained the principal and royal apartments. The apartments contain reminders of Victoria's dynastic links with the other European royal families. The Billiard Room houses a massive porcelain vase, which was a gift of the Russian Tsar. [6] The grandeur of the Billiard Room, Queen's Dining Room and the Drawing Room on the ground floor forms a marked contrast with the much more homely and unassuming decor of the royal apartments on the first floor. These rooms contain the Prince's Dressing Room, the Queen's Sitting Room, The Queen's Bedroom and the children's nurseries, were intended for private, domestic use, and were therefore as comfortable as possible. [7] Both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were determined to bring up their children in as natural and loving environment as their situation allowed so that as a consequence the royal children visited their parents' bedrooms when other children of a similar status lived in a far more detached manner. [8]

The 'main wing', containing the household accommodation and council and audience chambers, was added later. The final addition to the house was a wing built between 1890 and 1891. Year 1890 ( MDCCCXC) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1891 ( MDCCCXCI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common [9] It contains on the ground floor the famous Durbar Room which is named after an anglicised version of the Hindi word darbar. This word means court. A court is a forum used by a power base to adjudicate disputes and dispense civil, labour administrative and criminal Justice under its [10] The Durbar Room was built for state functions and decorated by Bhai Ram Singh in an elaborate and intricate style, with a carpet from Agra. Bhai Ram Singh MVO was one of pre-partition Punjab 's foremost Architects dominating the scene for nearly 2 decades Agra ( pronounced) (आगरा آگرا is a city on the banks of the Yamuna River in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, It now contains the gifts Queen Victoria received on her Golden and Diamond Jubilees. [11] These include engraved silver and copper vases, Indian armour and even a model of an Indian palace. [12] The first floor of the new wing was for the sole use of Princess Beatrice and her family. The Princess Beatrice (Beatrice Mary Victoria Feodore later (1885&ndash1917 Princess Henry of Battenberg; 14 April 1857 &ndash 26 October 1944 was a member of the British Beatrice was the Queen's youngest daughter, who remained permanently at her side.

The Indian associations of Osborne House also include its housing a collection of paintings of Indian persons and scenes, painted at Queen Victoria's request by Rudolf Swoboda. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Rudolf Swoboda the younger (1859-1914 was a 19th-century Austrian painter born in Vienna There are both depictions of Indians resident or visiting Britain in the 19th Century and scenes painted in India itself when the painter went there for the purpose ([1]).

Osborne House at the time of its construction
Osborne House at the time of its construction

Osborne House became the nearest thing to a family home Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's children were to know.

Swiss Cottage

The grounds include a 'Swiss Cottage'. The cottage was dismantled and brought piece by piece from Switzerland to Osborne where it was reassembled. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation [13] It was Queen Victoria's gift to her children on her birthday in 1854. Year 1854 ( MDCCCLIV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year The royal children were encouraged to garden. Each child was given a rectangular plot in which to grow fruit, vegetables and flowers. They would then sell their produce to their father. Prince Albert used this as a way to teach the basics of economics. [14] The children also learned to cook in the Swiss Cottage, which was equipped with a fully functioning kitchen. Both parents saw this kind of education as a way of keeping their children's feet firmly on the ground in spite of their royal status. [15] While the children were cooking below in the kitchens, Queen Victoria would enjoy the simplicity of the Swiss Cottage to catch up on her personal correspondence.

Family Home

Osborne House was a real home for the royal family. They stayed there for lengthy periods each year: in the Spring for Victoria's birthday in May; in July and August when they celebrated Albert's birthday; and just before Christmas. [16] In a break from the past, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert allowed photographers and painters to capture their family in the grounds and in the house, partly for their own enjoyment and partly as a form of propaganda for the nation to show what a happy and devoted family they were. Many thousands of prints of the royal family were sold to the public which led Victoria to remark, "no Sovereign was ever more loved than I am (I am bold enough to say). " [17] Writing to her daughter Victoria in 1858 about the gloominess of Windsor Castle, Victoria stated, "I long for our cheerful and unpalacelike rooms at Osborne. " [18]

The death of Prince Albert

Sadly the domestic idyll at Osborne was not to continue. In December 1861, Prince Albert died at Windsor Castle. Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common [19] In spite of his passing, Osborne House continued as one of Queen Victoria's favourite homes. As a widow, Victoria went into impenetrable mourning. She retreated to Windsor and Osborne with her memories. The private royal apartments were effectively sealed off in a time capsule with everything preserved as if Albert were still alive. [20]. The domestic routine also continued as though Albert were still alive, even to the extent of his shaving things and clothes being laid out for him each day.

Marconi transmitted some of the first radio messages to Victoria at Osborne to keep her abreast of the state of health of her son Edward, when he was seriously ill at Sandringham. Marchese Guglielmo Marconi mar'koni (25 April 1874 – 20 July 1937 was an Italian inventor best known for his development of a Radiotelegraph system Radio is the transmission of signals by Modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible Light. Sandringham House is a Country house on of land near the village of Sandringham in Norfolk, England, which is privately owned by the British

The death of Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria died at Osborne on 22 January 1901 with two generations of her family gathered around her. Events 565 - Eutychius is deposed as Patriarch of Constantinople by John Scholasticus. Year 1901 ( MCMI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting [21] Admirers of the building included the Queen's grandson Kaiser Wilhelm II (in whose arms she died there). Although Victoria had adored it, Osborne held few charms for her children. Victoria's will left strict instructions that Osborne was to stay within the family, but nobody wanted it so the new King Edward VII presented it to the nation. [22] With the exception of Princess Beatrice and Princess Louise who both retained houses on the estate, the rest of the royal family saw Osborne as something of an inaccessible white elephant. The Princess Louise (Louise Caroline Alberta Marchioness of Lorne and Duchess of Argyll by marriage 18 March 1848 &ndash 3 December 1939 was a member of the A white elephant is a valuable possession which its owner cannot dispose of and whose cost (particularly cost of upkeep exceeds its usefulness The new King also had his own rural retreat at Sandringham House, and he also preferred to spend his leisure time shooting or racing rather than in seclusion on an island. Sandringham House is a Country house on of land near the village of Sandringham in Norfolk, England, which is privately owned by the British The general public were allowed to visit the former state apartments, but the private family apartments were closed.

Convalescent Home

The non-pavilion sections of Osborne House were used as an officers' convalescent home during World War I - Robert Graves and A.A. Milne were two famous patients. Robert Graves (24 July 1895 &ndash 7 December 1985 was an English Poet, Translator and Novelist. Alan Alexander Milne (ˈmɪln (18 January 1882 &ndash 31 January 1956 was an English Author, best known for his Books about the Teddy bear Known as King Edward VII Retirement Home for Officers, this later included convalescents from military and civil service backgrounds. See also Bureaucrat The term civil service has two distinct meanings Branch of governmental service in which individuals are hired on the basis Until the late 1990s for retired officers of the British Armed Services. The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999 [23]

Naval College

Osborne House from the south lawn, in 1910
Osborne House from the south lawn, in 1910

In 1903, part of the estate became a junior officer training college for the Royal Navy known as the Royal Naval College, Osborne. Year 1903 ( MCMIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) [24] Initial training began at the age of 13, and further studies were continued at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC is the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon The College closed in 1921, with the last students leaving on 9 April 1921. Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar [25]

Former students included Queen Victoria's great-grandsons, the future Edward VIII and George VI, and their younger brother George, Duke of Kent. The Prince George Duke of Kent (George Edward Alexander Edmund 20 December 1902 - 25 August 1942) was a member of the British Royal Family Another well-known alumnus of the college was Jack Llewelyn Davies, one of the five Llewelyn Davies boys who inspired J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan. John "Jack" Llewelyn Davies ( 11 September, 1894 – 17 September, 1959) was the second eldest of the Llewelyn Davies boys The Davies boys (the family only used the double surname Llewelyn Davies in formal contexts were the sons of Arthur (1863–1907 and Sylvia Llewelyn Davies Sir James Matthew Barrie 1st Baronet OM ( 9 May, 1860 &ndash 19 June, 1937) more commonly known as J Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J Davies – whose brothers all went to Eton – described his five years at Osborne as horrendous. Eton College, or just Eton, is a world-famous British Independent school for boys founded in 1440 by King Henry VI. The case of George Archer-Shee from 1908, who was expelled from Osborne after being falsely accused of stealing a 5-shilling postal order, inspired the play The Winslow Boy. George Archer-Shee ( May 6, 1895 &ndash October 31, 1914) became a British Cause célèbre in 1910 when the issue of whether Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year The shilling is a unit of Currency used in current and former Commonwealth countries and was continued to be used in countries that left the commonwealth In the United Kingdom (UK a Postal Order is used for sending Money through the Mail. The Winslow Boy is an English play from 1946 by Terence Rattigan based on an actual incident in the Edwardian

World War Two

Adolf Hitler, being under the impression that Osborne House could become one of his post-war retreats, gave orders that the Osborne Estate should not be bombed during World War II. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

Osborne today

Immediately following the death of Queen Victoria, the royal apartments on the upper floors of the pavilion wing were turned into a private museum for the sole use of the royal family. They remained completely as she had left them. Part of the ground floor was opened to the public early in the 20th century, and in 1954 Victoria's bedroom and private apartments could be seen by the public for the first time, followed by the nurseries in 1989. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Today the house has been substantially restored to its former splendour as the summer palace of the Queen Empress. [26]

English Heritage

Osborne House is now under the care of English Heritage and is open to the public from spring through to autumn. English Heritage is a Non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government ( Department for Culture Media and Sport) with a broad remit of The former Naval College's cricket pavilion was converted into a holiday cottage in 2004 and can be booked by members of the public.

Books and Articles

References

  1. ^ Royal Palaces of Britain by Jane Struthers, p. 36
  2. ^ Royal Palaces of Britain by Jane Struthers, p. 36
  3. ^ Royal Palaces of Britain, p. 36
  4. ^ Royal Palaces of Britain, p. 36
  5. ^ The Royal Palaces of Britain by John Adair, p. 31
  6. ^ Royal Palaces of Britain, p. 38
  7. ^ Royal Palaces of Britain, p. 38
  8. ^ Royal Palaces of Britain, p. 38
  9. ^ Royal Palaces of Britain, p. 39
  10. ^ Royal Palaces of Britain, p. 39
  11. ^ Royal Palaces of Britain, p. 39
  12. ^ Royal Palaces of Britain, p. 39
  13. ^ Royal Palaces of Britain, p. 36
  14. ^ Royal Palaces of Britain, p. 36
  15. ^ Royal Palaces of Britain, p. 36
  16. ^ Royal Palaces of Britain, p. 36
  17. ^ Royal Palaces of Britain, p. 37
  18. ^ The Royal Palaces of Britain, p. 36
  19. ^ Royal Palaces of Britain, p. 39
  20. ^ Royal Palaces of Britain, p. 39
  21. ^ Royal Palaces of Britain, p. 39
  22. ^ Royal Palaces of Britain, p. 39
  23. ^ Royal Palaces of Britain, p. 39
  24. ^ Royal Palaces of Britain, p. 39
  25. ^ The Times, 2 February 1921. Events 962 - Translatio imperii: Pope John XII crowns Otto I Holy Roman Emperor, the first Holy Roman Emperor Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar
  26. ^ Royal Palaces of Britain, p. 39

External links


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