Discovering the secret life of Queen Victoria since 2018
© Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust RCIN 980054.bf As we prepare to enter December, let’s take a look at a wintery sketch by Queen Victoria, which depicts the gardens at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight during a snowstorm on 10th March 1847. In her journal the Queen writes that… Continue reading Sketchbook Saturday, week 23
© Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust RCIN 980024.ax This week we’re looking at this intimate pencil, watercolour and ink sketch by Queen Victoria of her third and fourth children, Princess Alice and Prince Alfred. In her journal entry dated 20th September 1845, Queen Victoria writes that she "sketched Alice & Affie… Continue reading Sketchbook Saturday, week 21
1st August 1842 Queen Victoria was involved in an accident, which almost changed the British Monarchy forever, when she was thrown from her horse while out riding at Windsor
© 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
© 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
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