Roy Turner
A photographer from Bury
OSBORNE
At the top of a hill near Cowes on the north east of the Isle of Wight the Osborne Estate was bought by a young Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1845 overlooking the Solent. This was just five years after she married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in the Chapel Royal of St. James's Palace in London.
Osborne was the Queen and Albert's escape from the formalities of daily life at Buckingham Palace and she would visit the Isle of Wight two or three times every year with her children.
The children would spend some of their days in the Nursery Suite on the first floor, where the dolls' house is a copy of a German original of the 19th century. There is no doubt that the extensive grounds were a favourite playground for the Queen's children, particularly on the walk towards the Solent to arrive at the Swiss Cottage.
On 17th January 1901 the Queen was very frail and suffered a stroke. Just a few days later, on 22nd January 1901 the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland and Empress of India died aged 81.