In 1876 Queen Victoria became Empress of India, some years
after the British protectorates and possessions in India were incorporated into
the British Empire. This new role led to a growing fascination with the Indian
Subcontinent, and eleven years later Victoria decided to bring two Indian
nationals to Britain to act as attendants to the Queen. One of them, Abdul Karim, developed a close
platonic friendship with Her Majesty, which led to some considerable friction among
members of the Royal Household. This
story forms the basis of the recently released film Victoria and Abdul starring Dame Judi Dench as Queen Victoria.
Abdul spent time at a number of the royal properties, but
one which features heavily in the film is Osborne House, Queen Victoria’s
beloved retreat on the Isle of Wight. This
was an exciting time for the English Heritage staff at the property, it being
the first time a feature film had made use of the sumptuous interiors, which
include many Indian influences. For
example, the Durbar Room, with a ceiling designed by Lockwood Kipling, father
of the author Rudyard Kipling. There is
a portrait of Abdul Karim hanging in the Durbar Room and it is redolent with
Indian touches such as the beautiful peacock fireplace. The Drawing Room also makes an appearance,
with its yellow satin curtains and full length mirrors, as does the Grand
Corridor with its classical statues and busts and decorative tiled floor.
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| The Durbar Room |
As well as the interiors, the grounds of the house are also
seen in the film. The exterior
architecture is Italianate in style.
When I visited last year I had recently been to Lake Maggiore and the
exterior of Osborne House took me right back there. The grounds range from a more formal style
immediately outside the house to the landscaped parkland in which red squirrels
can sometimes be found – we thought we saw one belting along, but it was moving
too fast to be sure it was a red. There
is a lovely walk down to the private beach with views over the Solent, where
the Queen’s personal bathing machine can still be found, as well as a cafe. Probably the most surprising thing
encountered by visitors to the property is the Swiss Cottage, an authentic
wooden chalet where the Queen’s children enjoyed hours of fun and where they
were taught about ‘normal’ life activities such as growing and cooking
vegetables.
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| The Italianate exterior |
As mentioned before, Osborne House, which is a short distance
to the south-east of East Cowes, is run by English Heritage and is open all
year round except for Christmas. Allow
plenty of time for your visit as there is lots to see.
