Princess Beatrice’s Visit to The Isle of Wight
On Monday 16th June, Princess Beatrice of York visited The Isle of Wight in honour of HRH’s namesake The Princess Beatrice, Queen Victoria’s youngest daughter and Governor of the island between 1896-1944.
The day started with a visit to Carisbrooke Castle which was The Princess Beatrice’s summer home from 1914. HRH was given a tour of Carisbrooke Castle including The Chapel and The Dining Room and was invited to view the Castle’s Costume Collection. In the grounds of Carisbrooke Castle, Princess Beatrice visited The Princess Beatrice Memorial Garden and the World War 1 Memorial.
HRH next visited The Priory School, Whippingham – located in the building which Prince Albert originally designed as a school for children of the staff of Osborne Estate. Princess Beatrice unveiled a plaque to commemorate this, marking 150 years of continuous education on the site. At The Priory School, HRH spent time with the children – listening to poems and joining in an arts and crafts lesson.
Princess Beatrice next visited St Mildred’s Church, Whippingham where The Princess Beatrice was married to Prince Henry of Battenberg in 1885.
The last stop of the day was Osborne House – used by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as their private home away from court life in London and Windsor. Here, Princess Beatrice was taken on a tour of Osborne House and met a diverse group of young achievers and entrepreneurs on the island; from a dairy farmer and a fashion entrepreneur, to a DJ and a magician. Princess Beatrice ended at the visit at the newly refurbished Swiss Cottage, Swiss Cottage Museum and the surrounding grounds.
