Like the house, the gardens
at Osborne were in formal Italianate style and were
designed by both Cubitt and Prince Albert. The walled
garden that produced fruit and flowers for the house
has been restored as part of the Contemporary Heritage
Gardens scheme launched by English Heritage.
It has been successfully recreated by the designer
Rupert Golby, with a view to recapturing the Victorian
spirit of the garden. The terrace gardens have recently
been opened to visitors. This formal garden area has
stunning views, which reminded Prince Albert of the
Bay of Naples, leading down to the Solent.
The Swiss Cottage, a miniature house designed for
the royal children, is complete with furniture that
was specially crafted for them. Surrounded by its own
gardens, here the princes and princesses grew vegetables
and would use the working kitchen in the Swiss Cottage
to cook meals for their parents.
Shortly after the death of Queen Victoria, Edward
VII gave Osborne House to the nation. The current restoration
project is revealing one of the most evocative memorials
to Britain's longest reigning monarch.
