The Queen owned so much lavish real estate that she was bound to have a few secrets hidden somewhere. But guess what, folks? We’re about to take you inside one of the most private royal properties. And when you see what’s within this jaw-dropping island mansion, you’re going to wish you’d been born with blue blood.
More famous homes
That’s saying something, as the Queen had a whole lot of beautiful homes. Buckingham Palace in London is undoubtedly the most famous of them all, and it’s housed the British royal family since 1837.
Then there’s Windsor Castle – another massive estate in Elizabeth’s line-up. Seriously, this place is both stunning and absolutely huge!
So many rooms!
There are an astonishing 1,000 rooms in Windsor Castle, compared to the mere 775 in Buckingham Palace.
We bet the Queen was glad she didn't have to dust them all… And the British ruler often spent time at the castle over weekends, though she had a few other iconic estates to fall back on.
Sandringham and the Scottish properties
When Christmas rolls around, for instance, the Queen and her family would usually celebrate at her property in Sandringham, England. Up in Scotland, meanwhile, Elizabeth had two places to choose from.
There’s Holyrood Palace, which was her so-called “official residence” in the country, and Balmoral Castle – supposedly her pick of the bunch.
Irish home
Oh, and the Queen had an estate in Northern Ireland as well. Hillsborough Castle was her go-to home whenever she took a trip across the Irish Sea.
But as we hinted at before, there’s another property with ties to Elizabeth and her family that doesn’t get spoken about as much.
Osborne House
It’s called Osborne House, and you can find it on the Isle of Wight – a small island to the south of England. While the estate once sprawled over 2,000 acres of land, it’s now a fraction of that size at around 354 acres.
Still nothing to sniff at, mind you, and that’s definitely not the most striking thing about the grand home.
Stunning look
The first thing that hits you is just how stylish Osborne House is. No stuffy castles here!
The sprawling mansion wouldn’t look out of place nestling alongside a classical Italian villa. The courtyard and gardens are a real sight to behold, too.
The origins
But that’s got us wondering: why does Osborne House look so different from the Queen’s other properties? Perhaps it’s because it once belonged to someone else.
And, yes, that meant Elizabeth’s ancestors had to search for and buy the estate – just like us regular folk do!
The Blachfords
Back in the day, the mansion looked pretty different. The plot of land belonged to the Blachford clan then, and while the family were aristocrats, they hadn’t got the royals’ resources.
Yet patriarch Robert Pope Blachford still did his best at transforming the old home in the late 18th century.
Changing of the guard
By the time Robert was done, the property had three floors, a bricked stable, and a kitchen yard. And his family made use of the beautiful home for several decades until Lady Isabella Blachford got an offer she couldn’t refuse.
Well, not unless she wanted a stay in the Tower of London, that is...
A royal purchase
We’re kidding, of course, but there was a royal link. In around 1844, Lady Isabella agreed to lease the eye-catching estate to none other than Prince Albert and Queen Victoria.
And it must have made quite an impression on the couple, as they outright purchased both the land and the mansion in 1845.
Tear it down!
So, what happened next? Well, Albert called upon a construction expert named Thomas Cubitt, who had helped shape some of London’s ritziest neighborhoods.
But while Victoria’s hubby was only looking to extend the building, Cubitt had another idea. He suggested that they should tear the whole thing down and start from scratch.
The new mansion
Albert had a big say in the whole thing, of course, and he and Cubitt got to work on constructing a new holiday mansion for the royals. In fact, it was the prince who pushed for Osborne House’s unique look.
He was infatuated with Italian architecture, you see.
A long build
In the end, it didn’t prove to be the quickest of projects. Work was still being carried out on Osborne House at the start of the 1890s – almost three decades on from Albert’s sudden death.
And while the link to her late husband may have been painful, Victoria still made frequent visits to the property when out of London.
The connection to Queen Victoria
Victoria’s love of the place couldn’t be questioned. Apparently, she once said, “It is impossible to imagine a prettier spot.”
It was there that the British royal passed away in 1901, further cementing her connection to the estate. And Osborne House’s affiliation with the royals didn’t end there – despite one heartbreaking betrayal.
The Royal Naval College
King Edward VII defied his mother’s instructions by handing over Osborne House to the British people. Then sections of the property were given over to the Royal Naval College.
We say “sections” because certain parts of the estate remained off-limits to the college. Wonder what the royal family was hiding behind those doors...
Opened up
Well, we didn’t have to wait centuries to find out. Early in her reign, Queen Elizabeth II gave her blessing for those areas to be opened up.
And as it happens, those previously barred spaces included the rooms that had once belonged to Albert and Victoria. No wonder they were out of bounds!
Visits?
But that leads us to our next question: did Queen Elizabeth ever visit Osborne House? Well, not as much as Victoria did, it seems, but it has happened in the past.
When she went to the Isle of Wight in 2004, she’s said to have dropped in on her family’s old vacation home.
Familiar faces
In recent years, you’re more likely to have seen other royals at the mansion. Prince Edward, Charles, and Camilla have all made trips to Osborne House.
Camilla even joined actress Judi Dench while wandering the grounds in 2018.
Eye-catching exterior
Osborne House’s stunning exterior really is something else. And we’re not just referring to the mansion.
The jaw-dropping gardens and courtyard – complete with a gorgeous water feature – are worth the price of admission alone.
The cottage and the beach
The estate also boasts the beautiful “Swiss Cottage,” which was once used by Victoria and Albert’s kids. Oh, and Osborne House has its own beach, too.
No wonder Victoria loved the place. But you ain’t seen nothing yet – not until you step inside.
Going on a tour
And, luckily, we’ve got you covered. Fancy a tour of this incredible mansion?
Okay, then, let’s get started! To kick things off, we’ll head to the drawing room on the first floor. Take how grand you think it’ll be, and double it.
Past snapshot
Now, this room was already quite opulent in Victoria’s day. You could say that it was fit for a queen!
Naturally, there were chandeliers and ornate furniture. A lot of paintings, too, as Albert and Victoria adored the arts.
The drawing room now
How does it look today, though? Surprisingly, it hasn’t changed all that much.
As this photo shows, the eye-catching chandeliers remain intact, as does the artwork on the walls. The nice furniture’s still here as well, but now we can get a better idea of its color. And to put it mildly, we think we need to find our sunglasses.
So much gold!
All that gold leaves you in no doubt that a very rich person lived here. It’s the real deal, too – all the way from the ceiling to the chairs.
Oh, and then there’s that magnificent round table in the center of the room. It’s certainly a lot fancier than you’d ever see at Ikea.
Billiards
Next up, there’s the billiards room. Albert was a big fan of the game, so he made sure that there was a place for him to play inside the mansion.
And a billiards table’s still there, surrounded by paintings and sculptures.
Thoughtful design
But here’s something you may not notice at first glance. Albert apparently had the table made a little higher than the standard size.
Why? Simple, really – it saved Victoria and her female guests from the embarrassment that came from leaning down to play. Pretty thoughtful, wouldn’t you agree?
Vintage dining room
And once Albert and Victoria built up an appetite from those games, they could head into the next room. Yes, we’re talking about the dining area.
As this vintage photo shows, the space is still fairly grand, although the main table is a lot smaller than we envisioned. Not large enough for a banquet, anyway!
A mirror image?
Even today, the room is practically identical to how it would have appeared during Victoria’s reign. The large paintings are still in place, as are the spectacular candle holders.
The biggest difference here is that the table has been replaced. Now, it can seat eight. We wouldn’t say no to a meal in that room!
Albert’s bathroom
If you thought that was something, though, wait until you get a load of Albert’s private bathroom – also situated on the first floor. There are plenty of paintings on the wall, of course.
Perhaps the prince needed something to look at when he was doing his business? Oh, and have a peek at the left-hand corner. That’s a sculpture of the Roman god Jupiter.
Dressing and writing room
Albert’s writing and dressing space is nearby, too. And fans of the royals will be fascinated, as they can get a glimpse of the prince’s surroundings when he opted for time alone.
Decked out with paintings and busts, the room looks like a beautiful place to unwind.
The queen’s sitting room
Victoria also had similar spaces for herself on the first floor of the mansion. A photo was actually snapped of her sitting room back in 1899, and paintings, books, and sculptures dominate, as you can see.
We wonder how much time the queen used to spend there…
Not much change
The room seems virtually the same today. This shot of Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex shows that books and picture frames still litter the old desk.
And it must have been eerie for the prince to be there, knowing that his great-great-great-grandma once sat in that spot.
A notable bedroom
So, what else can we find on the first floor? Well, it’s a biggie, folks.
Unlike the vast majority of modern homes, the bedrooms in Osborne House aren’t all located upstairs. One of them is nestled on the lower level. And it belonged to Victoria herself.
Just the way it was
As you can see from this photo, Victoria had quite the boudoir to rest in when the day drew to a close. And the room hasn’t been changed since her passing in 1901.
It really is like a time capsule from over 100 years ago!
A sad reminder
As cool as that is, there’s also a bittersweet reminder of the past. On the left-hand side of the bed, a picture of Albert is secured on a stand.
That small satchel on the headrest also held his watch. It’s clear that Victoria still loved her partner way after his death.
Worth the wait
But the queen’s bedroom probably isn’t the standout space at Osborne House. That title arguably belongs to the Durbar Room.
This was a fairly late addition to the mansion, being constructed in the early 1890s. And suffice to say, it was worth the wait.
The Durbar Room
The fireplace alone is a pure work of art. Yes, that’s a carved peacock on the wall.
We’ve just about picked our jaws off the floor, too! And if you can peel your eyes away from that magnificent sculpture, the rest more than lives up to that initial promise.
Stunning design
This photograph shows the Durbar Room in all its glory. It served as a dining room at the mansion, and that Indian aesthetic isn’t an accident.
Rudyard Kipling’s dad and an artist from India joined forces to create the design together. That’s a cool bit of trivia for you!
Want to see it in person?
With that, our tour of Osborne House comes to an end. And after everything that we’ve seen, it’s safe to say that the inside more than matches up to the exterior.
But if you want a closer look, English Heritage will give you that chance. Thanks to the charity, the estate – and its accompanying beach – are open to tourists.