Visit Queen Victoria’s Isle of Wight

“It is impossible to imagine a prettier spot” 

 

We at The Wight Holiday Company think that Queen Victoria was so very right about the Isle of Wight, it truly is the perfect UK destination for a self catering holiday, whether that be for a short break of a couple of nights or stay of a week or more. All year round the Isle of Wight has so much to offer.

When Queen Victoria and Prince Albert chose the Isle of Wight as their favourite holiday spot in the 1840s, little did they know they’d be changing the destiny of a compact and stunningly beautiful Island for ever. Queen Victoria certainly was right about our little Island, if the Isle of Wight was perfect for royalty then it most certainly is a perfect place to enjoy a self catering holiday for you.

The creation of their family holiday home at Osborne brought a new status to the Isle of Wight. Not only was the Isle of Wight the place where the family relaxed in private, it was also the location where affairs of state were managed. Queen Victoria ruled her worldwide empire from the tranquillity of her seaside palace on the Isle of Wight, entertaining foreign royalty and visiting ministers. The Isle of Wight has so much to offer, places to explore and things do that you will want to come back time after time.

 

The Isle of Wight reflected Queen Victoria’s private life as well as that of her role as Head of Empire. Visits with family and friends to local scenic spots were paired with the creation of state rooms for formal visits at Osborne. The Durbar Room, designed and installed by Lockwood Kipling and Bhai Ram Singh in the 1890s features in the film ‘Victoria and Abdul’ in cinemas now and also in the current ITV series of ‘Victoria’, that will end with the Queen and her husband buying the house that will become their “beloved Osborne”.

When on the Island the royals loved many of the pleasures we consider to be modern day holiday pleasures: dining al fresco, swimming in the sea, visiting local attractions and simply taking time out from the bustle of busy mainland life. What are you waiting for, come on over to the Isle of Wight and explore like royalty. We have great self catering holiday accommodation offers and discounted ferry crossings available with both Wightlink and Red Funnel.

Let the Victoria’s Island trail take you on a journey across the Isle of Wight visiting some of the places that the Queen loved alongside lesser known locations that reveal the strong connection that the royal family had with the Island; both as off duty, private people and as heads of state.