Discovering the secret life of Queen Victoria since 2018
© 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
Recently we saw the release of Fern Riddell’s newest book Victoria’s Secret: The Private Passion of a Queen, which reveals new evidence surrounding Queen Victoria’s relationship with her highland servant, John Brown. I have to begin by saying that Fern has done an exceptional job of portraying Victoria as both a queen and as an… Continue reading Book Review: ‘Victoria’s Secret: The Private Passion of a Queen’ by Fern Riddell
Just as we have been experiencing recently, the 17th August 1899 had been a ‘very hot’ day on the Isle of Wight; and like any other summers day spent at her summer residence, Osborne House, Queen Victoria took tea with her granddaughter, Princess Helena Victoria “Thora” of Schleswig-Holstein. However, this day wasn’t the same as… Continue reading Queen Victoria attends a fête at Carisbrooke Castle, 17th August 1899
On 16th August 1858, Queen Victoria sent the first official telegram using the new transatlantic telegraph system. For years engineers had been trying to invent new and quicker ways to send messages overseas. However, it wasn’t until the 1840s that the idea of submarine cables came to light, with the first working cable being laid… Continue reading Queen Victoria sends the first transatlantic telegraph
© Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust RCIN 980043.dj This Sketchbook Saturday we’re looking at this incredible landscape watercolour by Queen Victoria, titled ‘showing a view from the River Toce, Italy’. The Queen stayed at the Villa Clara on the shores of Lake Maggiore between the 28th March and 23rd April 1879. On… Continue reading Sketchbook Saturday, week 10
© Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust RCIN 980043.bz This week we’re taking a look at this gorgeous watercolour by Queen Victoria, which shows a highland scene. In her journal entry dated 2nd June 1877 Queen Victoria writes that she “drove to the Glassalt Sheil with Beatrice & Leila E. Very high wind &… Continue reading Sketchbook Saturday, week 9