Queen Victoria at Home.

Woodville Examiner, Volume 3, Issue 281, 3 September 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

Queen Victoria at Home.

THE ROYAL RESIDENCE IN THE ISLE OF WIGHT—EVERY-DAY LIFE OF THE QUEEN. The heart of London society has been gladdened by the rumor that Her Majesty the Queen intends to partially abandon the life of seclusion she has led for some years past, and to appear in public more frequently. She will also reside in London during the season, and endeavor to restoie the prestige and glamour of Royalty that seemed falling into desuetude. Indeed, it is said that His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, alarmed at the rising tide of democracy and the growing want of respect toward royalty, insisted that Her Majesty should make this change if she wished that he should occupy the throne. It is well known that since the death of the Prince Consort Her Majesty has preferred to spend most of her time at Osborne House, in the Isle of Wight, or Balmoral, in Scotland. Here the early years of her life were spent, and there she meets at every step some image of the past, when all was happiness and sunshine. She is especially attached to Osborne House, situated in that charming garden of verdure and flowers, “the pearl of the Channel.’’ The Royal residence resembles one of those Italian villas on the Lakes of Como and Maggiore, and is delightful at all seasons. Her Majesty has recently added to the property by the purchase of the adjoining lands. The park is now four miles in extent, and is admirably laid out and adorned with every beauty that art can bestow. The house is surrounded by a number of beautiful terraces, from the last of which an immense stretch of green landscape extends down to the shore. The principal entrance to the house is by way of Cowes, and leads through a lovely, garden of shrubbery and flowers. One of the largest myrtles in this garden is the growth of a branch taken from the marriage bouquet of the Crown Princess of Germany and planted in January, 1858. The house is situated on a height, and the windows look out on a beautiful scene of sky and sea. The royal apartments ate in the left wing, behind which stands the flag-lower, 107 feet in height. The apartments of Her Majesty and Princess Beatrice are closed to the public eye. They are furnished in an exquisite manner and contain much bizarre and costly bric-a-brac, Chinese and Japanese bibelots, and some old Sevres of fabulous worth. The carved woodwork of the walls is unique, and whatnots are found in ever corner, containing rare books and a multitude of odd and costly articles. Many valuable tableaux and bronzes are in the various apartments, together with some remarkable paintings of the old masters. On the great stairway is the famous allegorical fresco of Neptune abandoning to Britannia the empire of the ocean.

Her Majesty’s every-day life is one of simplicity and extreme regularity. She is an early riser, and insists on going out twice a day, rain or shine. Her usual mode of promenade is in an open carriage, which is always attended by an equery. She is also fond of driving out in her little Scotch pony chaise. On returning from her promenade, Her Majesty takes a brief rest and then devotes herself to business. She goes through all the voluminous correspondence brought by the Government carriers, and makes the minutest inquiries concerning all the important affairs of the day. If not too fatigued she has one of her attendants read to her, and when not thus occupied she generally devotes herself to writing or etcoing. Dining the of the Prince Consort, etching was the favorite occupation of the royal pair. At times takes a sort of recreation by chatting with her favorities on every day matters, and she is fond of hearing all piquant gossip that may be floating around, although she pretends to be indifferent to it. She has her little likes and dislikes, and about the same amount of womanish temper as ordinary people. Lunch is served regularly at 2 o’clock. Her Majesty possesses an excellent appetite, and is very careful in her choice of food. She thinks she owes her constant immunity from sickness in a great measure to this, and she insists that the infirmities of those about her are, for the most part, the result of a lack of regularity in eating, exercise, and the other common rules of life. Her Majesty dines at 9 o’clock, and retires to her private apartments at 11. Almost every evening there are guests at the royal dinner. They belong, for the most part, to the royal household. The Rev. Mr. Prothero and wife are frequently favored in this respect, Mr. Prothero is the pastor of Whifhngham Church, the Prince Consort’s favorite place of worship, and where Princess Beatrice was married.

Her Majesty has a great regard for the pastor of Whiffingham, and not long ago, accompanied by Princess Beatrice, she attended the marriage of Mr, Prothero’s daughter and went forward and congratulated the newly-married lady at the end of the ceremony. From time to time there are private concerts given at the palace, to which only the favored few are invited. Her Majesty and Princess Beatrice do not live in such close relations as they did previous to the latter’s marriage. The Queen is always attended by the princess on her promenades, whether riding or walking, but at all other times the princess occupies her time in her own apartments in reading, painting, and music generally. There is continual coming and going of visitors, to say nothing of the ministers, who suffer considerably in visiting Her Majesty at such a distance from London. All Her Majesty’s children and their immediate families and friends ate frequent visitors at Osborne House, with the exception of the Duke of Edinburgh and his wife. The Duchess, the only daughter of the late Czar of Russia, has never become reconciled to Her Majesty after their disputes on the question of precedence, and the duke naturally sympathises with his wife, and shows it by his studied absence.