On 24th May 1854, Queen Victoria celebrated her 35th birthday at her beloved Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.
Like usual on her birthday, the Queen was woken by a band playing on the terrace. after getting up, Victoria and Albert went into the nearby children’s wing, where they were greeted by ‘mama, & the children, who overwhelmed me with nosegays’. Together, the family went into the present room, – a guest bedroom that, from 1850, was used to display birthday presents – which was ‘again most tastefully arranged’.
Amongst the Queens gifts was ‘a crimson velvet portfolio containing coloured photographs of the children’s 5 tableaux’ from Albert and ‘some pretty scarves’ and headdresses from her mother. As was tradition, the royal children made, wrote and drew their presents for their mother. In her journal, Victoria wrote she was ‘truly delighted & could really not express how I felt’.
The band played once again while the whole family sat for breakfast. Afterwards, the five eldest children – Princess Victoria, Prince Albert Edward, Princess Alice, Prince Alfred and Princess Helena – surprised their parents by preforming quintet, ‘composed by their dear father’. The Princess Royal and Princess Helena played together on one Piano, with the Prince of Wales and Princess Alice were on the other. Prince Alfred, however, showed off his talent at playing the violin, ‘which he has a very decided talent’. Following individual piano performances, the boys ‘recited & the 2 girls, each read a historical composition they had written’.
Later that afternoon, after responding to countless telegrams of well wishes, Victoria took her guests to the present room to see her gifts before being ‘photographed by Mr Becker on the terrace’. These photos have since become some of the most iconic photos of the royal family.
Once the photographs were completed, Victoria and Albert ‘drove with the six children to the charming Swiss Cottage, which was formally given over to them’. Over the next few years, the Swiss Cottage would become a vital part of their upbringing. Isolated in Osbornes woodland, it allowed them to escape court life and was fully equipped with a working kitchen, dairy, gardening plots and later a small museum for them to showcase their discoveries.
Throughout the rest of the day, the family visited their private beach and watched the composer, Holzel, and members of the court sing and play piano.
Birthdays at Osborne always had a special place in Victorias heart and this one was no different. That day, Victoria ended her journal by saying ‘it was a dear happy day, only it alas! again passes only too quickly’.
©️Queen.Victoria.Roses 2024
All images from the Royal Collection Trust ©️ King Charles III
Journal source:
RA VIC/MAIN/QV] (W) 24 May 1854 (PRINCESS BEATRICE’S COPIES) retrieved 24 May 2024
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It did sound like such a happy day for Victoria and the family. I love seeing photographs of the young family. It’s too bad that this one photograph was taken so far away. Happy Birthday, Your Majesty. ❤️🎂