The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a summer home and rural retreat.

Following her death, King Edward VII, who had never liked Osborne, presented the house to the state on the day of his coronation, with the royal pavilion being retained as a private museum to Victoria.

In 1954, Queen Elizabeth II gave permission for the first floor rooms (the private apartments) in the royal pavilion to be opened to the public.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert bought Osborne House on the Isle of Wight from Lady Isabella Blachford in October 1845.

Victoria had spent two holidays on the Isle of Wight as a young girl, when her mother, the Duchess of Kent, rented Norris Castle, the estate adjacent to Osborne.

Prince Albert designed the house himself in conjunction with Thomas Cubitt, the London architect and builder, whose company also built the main façade of Buckingham Palace.

[2] The Prince Consort participated directly in laying out the estate, gardens and woodlands, to prove his knowledge of forestry and landscaping.

According to a news report: "The queen's bathing machine was unusually ornate, with a front veranda and curtains which would conceal her until she had entered the water.

"[4] The original square wing of the house was known as "The Pavilion", containing the principal and royal apartments on the ground and first floors, respectively.

These include depictions of Indians resident or visiting Britain in the 19th century, and scenes painted in India when Swoboda travelled there to create such works.

[1] In a break from the past, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert allowed photographers and painters to make works featuring their family in the grounds and in the house.

Many thousands of prints of the royal family were sold to the public, which led Victoria to remark, "no Sovereign was ever more loved than I am (I am bold enough to say).

Both parents saw this kind of education as a way of grounding their children in the activities of daily life shared by the people in the kingdom despite their royal status.

[1] In 1859, Prince Albert designed a new and larger quadrangular stable block, which was built by Cubitts on the former cricket pitch.

[10] After Prince Albert died at Windsor Castle in December 1861, Queen Victoria continued to visit Osborne House because it was one of her favourite homes.

On 14 January 1878, Alexander Graham Bell demonstrated an early version of the telephone to the queen at Osborne House,[11] placing calls to Cowes, Southampton and London.

[15] Initial training began at about the age of 13, and after two years studies were continued at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth.

The case of George Archer-Shee from 1908, who was expelled from Osborne after being falsely accused of stealing a 5-shilling postal order, inspired the play The Winslow Boy.

Once Osborne House was complete, they commissioned Cubitt to build the east wing of Buckingham Palace.

[22][23] Queen Victoria's private beach at Osborne, including her personal bathing machine, was opened to the public for the first time in July 2012, following an extensive restoration programme.