Osborne House

Osborne House was built by Queen Victoria in 1845-51 as a country retreat where she and her family could be free from state ceremonial. Today, the drawing, dining and billiard rooms and the private apartments are laid out almost exactly as they were in her day. To mark the centenary of Queen Victoria’s death, English Heritage has restored two of Osborne House’s most important rooms - the dining room and the banqueting hall in the Durbar Wing.

Using an inventory of 1901 and contemporary photographs, English Heritage has restored the original paint colours of the dining room, recreated the original curtains and carpet, and laid the table for an intimate family supper.

View of Dining Room, May 2001.

Responsible for setting the dining tables for lunch and dinner were the table deckers, staff employed to arrange displays using flowers from the kitchen garden, and to make the final preparations to the food. One of the dining tables is displayed to show the laying for dinner in progress, with the set square and ruler used by the table decker to ensure each setting was arranged perfectly. Much of the table deckers’ rooms have survived, including the blue painted walls to the glazed cupboards (blue was considered to discourage flies).

The Table Deckers' Room at Osborne House

The restored Anglo-Indian interior of the Durbar Room is the setting for an array of royal treasures from the Indian sub-continent presented to Queen Victoria on the occasion of her Golden and Diamond Jubilees. The gifts she received were the finest examples of miniature painting, ivory and marble inlay, silver engraving, embroidery, and sandalwood and soapstone carving. Displayed alongside are contemporary works of art of equally high quality being made in India today.

The Durbar Room 

Finally, for one year only, the Queen’s bedroom has been recreated as it was after her death on 22 January 1901, including palms and lilies to decorate her bed.

Queen Victoria's bedroom

Osborne House

Admission:  £7.20 / £5.40 / £3.60

Location:    Osborne House
                   East Cowes
                   Isle of Wight

Open:         Daily 1st April - 30th Sept.:10am - 6pm
                   From 1st - 31st October: 10am - 5pm daily

Web:          For more information on Osborne House
                  visit the English Heritage website.

The following companies specialise in the hire of Victorian fixtures and furnishings:

Picture Props Company Ltd