Discovering the secret life of Queen Victoria since 2018
© Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust 980054.bm Today we’re taking a look at this detailed pencil and watercolour sketch by Queen Victoria, which shows a scotch fir on the grounds of Claremont in Esher, Surrey. The Queen and her husband arrived at Claremont on 22nd May 1847 and remained until the… Continue reading Sketchbook Saturday, week 16
On 24th September 2025, it was announced that a ‘galloping gig’, believed to have belonged to Queen Victoria and used by her grandchildren/ great-grandchildren will soon be going up for auction. However, this isn’t the first time I have heard about this historical object, which has spent years in the private collection at The Grange,… Continue reading A ‘galloping gig’ (pushchair) once owned by Queen Victoria is set to sell at auction, 2025
© Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust RCIN 980045.b This week we’re looking at this beautiful watercolour by Queen Victoria, which shows a stunning highland landscape, painted during her stay at Balmoral in 1874 Don’t forget to subscribe to my website to receive email updates about new posts! This article is the… Continue reading Sketchbook Saturday, week 15
On 19th September 1819, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, husband of Queen Victoria, was christened in the Marble Hall at Schloss Rosenau, Coburg. He was given the names Franz August Karl Albert Emanuel. © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust RCIN 403074 For the Princes birthday in 1842, Queen Victoria gave… Continue reading Prince Albert’s 1842 birthday gift from the Queen
© Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust RCIN 980024.fa This week we’re looking at this adorable pencil and watercolour sketch by Queen Victoria of her youngest child, Princess Beatrice. The sketch has been dated 16th July and 8th August 1858. On the latter date Queen Victoria writes in her journal: ‘After luncheon,… Continue reading Sketchbook Saturday, week 14
© Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust RCIN 980030.b This Sketchbook Saturday we’re looking at this stunning watercolour landscape by Queen Victoria, titled ‘View from the new approach, Balmoral’. On 27th September 1854 Queen Victoria described in her journal how it had been a ‘beautiful day, with a very hot sun. — Albert out… Continue reading Sketchbook Saturday, week 13
A couple of weeks ago I asked my Instagram followers to send in their questions for historian, Ioana N. Gaurean, best known as Marie_of_Romania on instagram. Ioana specialises in the life of Queen Victoria’s granddaughter, Princess Marie of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, later Queen Consort of Romania, so I am excited to have teamed… Continue reading Q&A with historian, loana N. Gaurean
© Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust RCIN 980026.aj This week we’re looking at this beautiful watercolour by Queen Victoria, which shows the landscape at her seaside home, Osborne house, on the Isle of Wight in August 1848. Throughout the family’s time at Osborne Victoria received regular art lessons from artist, William… Continue reading Sketchbook Saturday, week 12
Tomorrow (26th August 2025) is international dog day so it only seems right to celebrate by talking about Queen Victoria’s childhood companion, Dash. ‘A beautiful spaniel of King Charles’s breed,’ Dash first entered Princess (later Queen) Victoria’s life on 14th January 1833 when he was given to her mother, the Duchess of Kent, by her… Continue reading “Dear little Dash”: Queen Victoria’s childhood companion
Did you know that the United Kingdom’s first ever theme park was on the Isle of Wight? Did you also know that Queen Victoria visited its very first attraction? On 24th August 1853, Queen Victoria left her Isle of Wight home, Osborne House, and embarked on “another very pretty tour, round part of this dear… Continue reading A royal curiosity: Queen Victoria and the Blackgang whale
© Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust RCIN 980024.ee For this week’s Sketchbook Saturday let’s take a look at this intimate sketch by Queen Victoria, which shows her fifth child, Princess Helena, in April 1857. Over the previous few days Queen Victoria had been ‘plagued with a bad throat & hoariness’ (1).… Continue reading Sketchbook Saturday, week 11
For Queen Victoria, Wednesday 20th August 1884 began like any other. The morning was “splendid, but very hot” as she took breakfast under a tree at her beloved Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. Then, at 11:30 she received the news that the Abyssinian envoys had arrived with gifts from King John of Abyssinia.… Continue reading An elephant at Osborne: King John of Abyssinia’s unusual gift to Queen Victoria