Osborne House, Garden and Grounds

En un regard

Le château en bref

Above Osborne Bay, on the north coast of the Isle of Wight, Osborne House was the family home of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, far from the constraints of London and Windsor. The couple bought the estate in 1845 and had the old house, which was too cramped, replaced by an Italianate villa whose main lines Albert designed himself with the builder Thomas Cubitt. With its two belvedere towers and its terraces descending towards the sea, the house evokes the Bay of Naples that Albert had admired. It became the most widely copied Victorian house in the world and inspired town halls, railway stations and villas as far away as Australia. Inside, the private apartments retain the family atmosphere the couple wanted, while the Durbar Room, added in 1890-1892, displays a decoration inspired by India. The grounds of some 240 hectares bring together terraced gardens, pleasure grounds, woodland and the Queen's private beach. The Swiss Cottage, built for the education of the royal children, completes the visit. Victoria died there in 1901; Edward VII gave the estate to the nation the following year, and English Heritage manages it today.