Discovering the secret life of Queen Victoria since 2018
Yesterday we learnt of the tragic news that King Harald V of Norway had passed away. To commemorate his passing, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about Queen Victoria’s connection to the Norwegian royal family and the new King Haakon VIII. On 22nd July 1896, Queen Victoria’s granddaughter, Princess Maud of Wales, married… Continue reading Queen Victoria and the Norwegian Royal Family
1840 marked not only the year of Queen Victoria’s marriage to her beloved Prince Albert, or the birth of their first child, but also the year that Victoria truly began to find herself within her role as monarch. With a husband and child, Victoria had officially stepped into Victorian womanhood and soon her jewellery box… Continue reading Queen Victoria’s Sapphire Coronet
Like anyone moving to a new area, after purchasing Osborne House on the Isle of Wight in 1845 Queen Victoria found herself wanting to get involved with local hobbies. In 1833 Victoria, who at that time was known as Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent, had visited the island with her widowed mother, the Duchess of… Continue reading Prince Albert lays the foundation stone for The Royal Victoria Yacht Clubhouse in Ryde, Isle of Wight
On Wednesday I shared a post with questions about Queen Victoria that have always played on my mind and one of my lovely followers challenged me to do some research and see what answers I could come up with. So, today I begin by looking at one of the biggest questions: What was Queen Victoria’s… Continue reading Prison or Protection: What was Queen Victoria’s childhood under the Kensington System really like?
Prince Albert proudly designed Osborne House on the Isle of Wight as a seaside residence for his wife, Queen Victoria, and their nine children as a way to enjoy time together away from the bustle of London. Between the time they purchased the house in 1845 until Albert’s premature death in 1861 the house was… Continue reading A royal memorial: Prince Albert at Osborne House
One of the cutest events to take place during the happier years of Queen Victoria’s reign is the children’s costume ball, which took place at Buckingham Palace on 7th April 1859 in honour of Prince Leopold’s sixth birthday. The Children's Fancy Ball at Buckingham Palace, 7th April 1859 by Eugenio Agneni © Royal Collection Enterprises… Continue reading ‘It had the prettiest effect possible’: A children’s ball is held at Buckingham Palace
Last Tuesday (7th April 2026) I visited Osborne House on the Isle of Wight to see their two new exhibitions: ‘Tradition and Innovation: Victoria’s Final Journey’ and ‘Painters and Patrons: Emma Gaggiotti and Prince Albert’. Queen Victoria first purchased the Osborne estate and its Georgian house in 1845. Over the next few years Prince Albert… Continue reading Two two new exhibitions arrive at Queen Victoria’s Isle of Wight residence, Osborne House, for 2026
On 29th March 1871 London witnessed the opening of one of its most iconic buildings, the Royal Albert Hall, in a grand ceremony attended by the highest members of society. Located in South Kensington, the Hall is one of several buildings to have been built in the wake of the 1851 Great Exhibition. Headed by… Continue reading ‘An impressive spectacle of its kind’: Queen Victoria opens the Royal Albert Hall
© Historic Royal Palaces This ‘Royal Fashion Friday’ we’re looking at this stunning dress that was worn by Queen Alexandra, wife of King Edward VII. Dating from around 1911-1912, the dress was worn by the Queen to attend one of the most iconic royal events, Ascot. While the light colours and floral pattern capture the… Continue reading Queen Alexandra’s Ascot dress
Children wearing sailor’s suits is commonly associated with the upper classes of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, but have you ever wondered where this trend began? Well, just like the tradition of the white wedding dress, we have Queen Victoria to thank. Sailor suit worn by King Edward VIII, 1902© Historic Royal Palaces King Edward… Continue reading Influencing childrenswear: How Queen Victoria popularised the sailor’s suit
Queen Victoria by George Koberwein © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2026 | Royal Collection Trust RCIN 406884 On 28th November 1843 Queen Victoria arrived at Drayton Manor for a three night stay with Prime Minister, Sir Robert Peel. Upon arriving at the Manor, Queen Victoria was greeted by Lady Peel and the Duchess of Buccleuch,… Continue reading Queen Victoria’s pink evening dress
On Saturday (7th March 2025) I had the pleasure of visiting Tamworth Castle in Staffordshire. Despite growing up just half an hour away from the castle, I have never had chance to visit and moving to the Isle of Wight naturally made visiting trickier to arrange. However, in January I heard about the castle’s temporary… Continue reading ‘Threads of Victoria’: Celebrating Queen Victoria’s 1843 visit to Tamworth