Osborne House was built as a private home for Queen Victoria (1819–1901) and her husband, Prince Albert (1819–61). The queen and her consort wished to find a seaside retreat for their young family, away from London and Windsor. The Osborne estate was recommended to them by the Prime Minister, Sir Robert Peel. The estate was bought in 1845 for £28,000. The existing Georgian house was demolished and Prince Albert had a strong influence on the design of the new house, commissioning Thomas Cubitt to advise him. Building took place between 1845 and 1851, starting with the Pavilion which was completed in 1846.
The house was a popular family home until the death of Prince Albert in 1861. The house continued to be a regular and popular retreat for Queen Victoria and her ever expanding family during her years of widowhood. Queen Victoria died at Osborne on 22 January 1901; the bedroom where she died remains unchanged, apart from the addition of a memorial plaque above the bed.
After Victoria’s death the Royal family had no use for Osborne and on Coronation Day in 1902 the king gave the estate to the nation. In 1904, part of the ground floor of the house was opened to the public, with other parts converted into a convalescent home for officers. For a number of years Osborne was also used as a Royal Naval College until it closed 1921.
The former rooms of Victoria and Albert’s were sealed in 1901 on the orders of Edward VII. In 1954 Queen Elizabeth II gave permission for these rooms to be open to the public. In 1986 English Heritage assumed the management of Osborne.
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