Haunted Osborne: The ladies by the window

Having been built in the mid-19^th century, it’s easy to speculate that Queen Victoria’s Isle of Wight home, Osborne House, could be home to several wandering spirits. After all, the majestic Italianate walls witnessed countless tragedies during its time as both a royal residence and as a convalescence home. Like all old buildings, Osborne comes with its fair share of spooky stories; from footsteps throughout the grand corridors, disconnected servant’s bells ringing, the sound of locked doors opening and names being called out when no one is around, not to mention the mysterious figures that have been seen wandering around certain parts of the house.

As part of my research for my ‘Haunted Osborne’ project I have looked into several sources, from well credited books about local folklore, to first-hand accounts from people I have met, through all of which I have come to notice a pattern. Perhaps suggested by the occasional unexplained smell of orange blossom and jasmine perfume that sweeps through the lavish rooms, the majority of the ghostly sightings report seeing female figures in various parts of the house.

 

Following Queen Victoria’s death at Osborne in 1901, King Edward VII gave Osborne as a gift to the nation, with four new purposes. Whilst part of the grounds were converted into a Royal Naval collage, the Pavilion (main) wing of the house was separated into two, with the lower floor being opened to the public and the private apartments being cordoned off as a shrine to Queen Victoria, which only the royal family could visit. In 1903 the rest of the house was converted into a convalescent home for wounded Military Officers, which remained open until 2000. With such a recent history, it’s no surprise that so many of the spooky stories about Osborne come from people who worked there during the convalescent days. One story that fascinates me deeply is said to have taken place in Princess Beatrice’s private apartments which are located upstairs in the iconic Durbar wing. The story was first published in ‘Most Haunted Island: Book Six’ in 2004 by local author Gay Baldwin, who has very kindly allowed me to share some of the stories featured in her book.

When Prince Albert passed away in 1861, Queen Victoria decided that her youngest child, Princess Beatrice, should remain by her side as her unmarried companion and private secretary. However, Victoria’s plan unravelled in 1884 when Beatrice met and wished to marry the dashingly handsome Prince Henry of Battenberg. Whilst at first Victoria reacted badly to her daughter’s request, after much persuasion, she finally agreed on the condition that Beatrice, Henry and their future children remain living with her. Recognising that the couple would need space to raise their growing family, in 1890 Queen Victoria commissioned a new Indian themed wing to be added to the house. The new wing was to consist of a large reception room on the ground floor, with private apartments for Beatrice and Henry on the First floor. For years the living arrangement worked and there are contemporary reports that Henry and Beatrice’s love had rejoiced the atmosphere at Osborne to what it had been during Albert’s lifetime. However, this happiness came to a sudden end in January 1896 when Prince Henry passed away whilst he had been away with the military, plummeting Beatrice, and the atmosphere at Osborne back into a deep state of inconsolable mourning.

By the 1990s, Beatrice’s old apartments were no longer being used to house royalty and was instead the location of Richard Underwood’s office. At the time, Richard was working as the Head Custodian of the Royal Apartments and was making his way back to his office when he saw a lady wearing all black ‘late Victorian or early Edwardian costume’, stood looking out of the window in what used to be Princess Beatrice’s bedroom (it was used as a visitors sitting room in the 1990s). After placing some papers in his office, Richard returned to introduce himself to the lady, who he had believed to be part of a TV or film production. However, when he returned the room was empty. Concerned that the lady might have gotten lost in the vast maze of corridors, Richard asked security if the actress had exited past them. Much to his surprise, the woman hadn’t left the building, nor was there a film crew on site!

What particularly intrigues me about this story is that it closely resembles a story I heard from an acquaintance, whose Nan had worked as a nurse at the convalescence home. According to her granddaughter, the nurse had been going on her regular rounds, entering the patient’s rooms to see if they were in need of anything. Out of habit, she opened the door to an unoccupied room. However, the room wasn’t empty. Sat in a rocking chair by the window was an old lady, dressed in late 19^th century clothing, who was either knitting or crocheting. Concerned that she had spooked the lady, the nurse instantly left the room, before knocking and re-entering. When she did, much like Richard, the nurse found the room empty, with no sign of the elderly lady, her knitting or even the chair she had been sitting in.

This story is the first official part of my ‘Haunted Osborne’ series so make sure you subscribe to receive email updates on my newest content!

© Queen.Victoria.Roses 2026

Disclaimer: All of the stories that feature in this series are based on local tales which I have discovered either in person with witnesses or through Gay Baldwin’s books of Isle of Wight Ghost stories, which she has kindly given me permission to share.

This article is the intellectual property of Queen.Victoria.Roses and should not be COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances unless permission is given by the author