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Victoria and Albert: A Family Life at Osborne House
An insight into the private life of this royal couple, as reflected in the family home they created together.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published September 26, 1991
About the author
Sarah Ferguson
114 books442 followersSarah Ferguson, former Duchess of York, is a British writer, charity patron, public speaker, film producer and television personality. She is the former wife of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, former Duke of York. Sarah has two daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie of York.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 11, 2023
4.5/5
I guzzled this book up though I initially planned to spread it out through the month! I couldn’t put it down! Although I definitely see a bias, I think it was a fair portrayal of Victoria and Albert as a couple and parents during their happiest (and for Victoria, most grief-filled) years at Osborne House. I’m not one to reach for non-fiction, but it’s books like these that really capture my interest; they’re the books that open doors into the average and general day-to-day goings on of fascinating people who have lived through fascinating times. What a great book!
I guzzled this book up though I initially planned to spread it out through the month! I couldn’t put it down! Although I definitely see a bias, I think it was a fair portrayal of Victoria and Albert as a couple and parents during their happiest (and for Victoria, most grief-filled) years at Osborne House. I’m not one to reach for non-fiction, but it’s books like these that really capture my interest; they’re the books that open doors into the average and general day-to-day goings on of fascinating people who have lived through fascinating times. What a great book!
February 5, 2017
My edition is used and I was delighted to see that Sarah Ferguson autographed it! Many years ago, I remember her saying on Oprah that Queen Victoria has always been her favorite monarch. I have to say that she is mine also. I’ve loved Queen Victoria and Prince Albert since I was a child, although loved is probably an understatement.
This book is simply breathtaking. Although the final chapters seemed a bit rushed, overall it is well written and the illustrations are gorgeous. It’s about their life at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. They would often go there to escape Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. Osborne House was conceived and planned by Prince Albert as a sanctuary for his wife and their nine children. I recommend this book highly if you love Queen Victoria and British royalty. After reading this and telling my husband all about it, he suggested that we should someday go to the Isle of Wight and visit Osborne House. I would love to!
Some of my favorite quotes:
“Both the Queen and Prince Albert seemed to have spent far more time with their children, than one usually associates with Victorian life. They ate together, and walked, rode, played and painted together. And the fond parents were often present at bath time and in the nurseries that Prince Albert had designed close at hand.”
About Prince Albert and Queen Victoria’s relationship:
“He was always teaching, moulding her, encouraging her to curb her temper; in many ways he was as much a father figure to her as he was her husband; she in turn admired his knowledge and teaching, as she did everything about him.”
“Even at Osborne, Albert had to start his day early if he was to get through the relentless agenda that he had set himself. The Queen did not have a private secretary; this role was filled by Albert, and as in every other area of their lives together – in the running of her establishments, in the upbringing of their children, in emotional support – she completely relied on him. He drafted, clarified, advised, and she approved nothing that he did not agree with. This self-imposed task of supporting, and moulding a constitutional monarch, who also made considerable emotional demands on him, would have been burden enough for most men. But for Albert, it was only part of his work, for the German prince had taken on an active role in the cultural life of his adoptive country.”
“There are today many institutions, taken for granted as pillars of the establishment, which owe their existence, or their appearance, in part to Albert. He is regarded as the architect of the modern monarchy; and when his great-great granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II, waves to people from Buckingham Palace, she does so standing on the balcony which was Albert’s idea.”
“More than husband and consort, Albert was everything to Victoria, and Osborne was unthinkable without him.”
“One of the ‘faults’, which Albert attempted to cure her of, and failed, was the Queen’s inability to live in the present. When she was happy, she fended off the future by anticipating it; and dealt with change when it came by dwelling on the past. The band under her window would wake her with a hymn – ‘Now thank we all our God’, or Psalm 100 – while Albert wished her joy so tenderly, so merrily, so lovingly, that she confessed humbly: ‘Often I feel surprised at being so loved, and tremble at my great happiness, dreading that I may be too happy.’”
This book is simply breathtaking. Although the final chapters seemed a bit rushed, overall it is well written and the illustrations are gorgeous. It’s about their life at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. They would often go there to escape Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. Osborne House was conceived and planned by Prince Albert as a sanctuary for his wife and their nine children. I recommend this book highly if you love Queen Victoria and British royalty. After reading this and telling my husband all about it, he suggested that we should someday go to the Isle of Wight and visit Osborne House. I would love to!
Some of my favorite quotes:
“Both the Queen and Prince Albert seemed to have spent far more time with their children, than one usually associates with Victorian life. They ate together, and walked, rode, played and painted together. And the fond parents were often present at bath time and in the nurseries that Prince Albert had designed close at hand.”
About Prince Albert and Queen Victoria’s relationship:
“He was always teaching, moulding her, encouraging her to curb her temper; in many ways he was as much a father figure to her as he was her husband; she in turn admired his knowledge and teaching, as she did everything about him.”
“Even at Osborne, Albert had to start his day early if he was to get through the relentless agenda that he had set himself. The Queen did not have a private secretary; this role was filled by Albert, and as in every other area of their lives together – in the running of her establishments, in the upbringing of their children, in emotional support – she completely relied on him. He drafted, clarified, advised, and she approved nothing that he did not agree with. This self-imposed task of supporting, and moulding a constitutional monarch, who also made considerable emotional demands on him, would have been burden enough for most men. But for Albert, it was only part of his work, for the German prince had taken on an active role in the cultural life of his adoptive country.”
“There are today many institutions, taken for granted as pillars of the establishment, which owe their existence, or their appearance, in part to Albert. He is regarded as the architect of the modern monarchy; and when his great-great granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II, waves to people from Buckingham Palace, she does so standing on the balcony which was Albert’s idea.”
“More than husband and consort, Albert was everything to Victoria, and Osborne was unthinkable without him.”
“One of the ‘faults’, which Albert attempted to cure her of, and failed, was the Queen’s inability to live in the present. When she was happy, she fended off the future by anticipating it; and dealt with change when it came by dwelling on the past. The band under her window would wake her with a hymn – ‘Now thank we all our God’, or Psalm 100 – while Albert wished her joy so tenderly, so merrily, so lovingly, that she confessed humbly: ‘Often I feel surprised at being so loved, and tremble at my great happiness, dreading that I may be too happy.’”
January 21, 2018
Charming look at Queen Victoria's and Prince Albert's life and marriage at Osborne House,their private residence away from public life.Much is taken from Queen Victoria's own journals,letters and diaries and it also includes many,many photographs, paintings and drawings some done by the Queen herself.The book begins with the first years of their marriage,the creation of Osborne House and chapters on their children.Very little is left out and I very much enjoyed learning about their private life together and how the whole family spent their time.I think what I liked best about it were the black and white photographs and the Queen's viewpoints on everything from music and flowers to her children and husband.Highly readable and I would very definitely recommend this for royalty fans.
September 13, 2023
A great deal of hagiography, but many lovely stories of Victoria and Albert’s development and use of the Osborne estate. I especially loved the paintings (many by Victoria herself) and the photographs.
May 25, 2014
I found this out of print hardcover book several years ago through Alibris and it is well worth the 20 dollars I paid for it..A jewel of a book that is a beauty to read and peruse..…Sarah Ferguson, the then Duchess of York wrote this book in the late 80s when she and the Duke were renovating their own house for their growing family…..She did a wonderful job bringing the Royal family to life and giving the reader much detail on Albert, Victoria and their 9 children...The book is filled with paintings and drawings of Queen Victoria and Albert during their intimate family time at their vacation home at Osborne on The Isle of Wight..Osborne House is a fascinating place that was conceived and planned by Albert, who modeled it after his childhood home in Coburg, Germany.The young couple was searching for a vacation home for their growing family where they could get away from court and their children could experience the pleasures of the seashore and the woods that make up this enchanted area…There are beautiful paintings also by Winterhalter and candid photos of the Royal family..Also included are several very rare colorized photos of Osborne House taken in the 1860s….This is a wonderful companion book for those who have visited Osborne or dream of seeing it..It is also a good introduction to the children of the Victoria and Albert, who grew up and married into the major royal houses of Europe..Highly recommended for fans of Queen Victoria and the British royals..
January 11, 2010
I recently saw "The Young Victoria" movie and was so impressed with the storyline that I found and read this awesome book in a week. The book I have is coffee table-sized and is filled with pictures of the royal family and their joyful lives at Osbourne House. It was here where Queen Victoria and her Prince Albert escaped the city life of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Palace. Prince Albert transformed Osbourne into a retreat for his wife and nine children. It was here where their fondest memories remain frozen in the buildings, gardens, rooms of this estate. There is more happiness in these halls than remorse but the death of Albert certainly changed the atmosphere of Osbourne and everyone associated with the royal family.
February 10, 2017
This book, co-authored by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of York (Sarah Ferguson) with Benita Stoney, is interesting in that it contains many sketches done by Victoria, Albert and her children as well as pictures of some of the great works of art featuring the royals. The story focuses only on their life at Osborne House which was rebuilt by Albert with the greatest attention to every detail. It was a more positive, happy and tranquil book about Victoria at her ease. I enjoyed it.
April 9, 2011
How wonderful to be able to see how Queen Victoria & Prince Albert made the Osborne House their private family sanctuary. Albert was definitely a type A personality (from designing the home to every little detail on everything from hanging paintings to redesigning the clock tower hands, even changing the bell so as to have the best sound.) The home had all the latest with regard to technology but he cut his budget when it came to replacing marble with brick, etc. He was a wonderful father, planning out their education and leisure activities for both his sons and his daughters. He built a "floating bath" and had a teacher so that the children would not become a victim of drowning. He had each of his 7 oldest children help lay the footings for their house, Swiss Cottage (one of the first prefabricated buildings in England) where their children could gain practical experiences such as museum-keeping and cookery. Both he and Victoria were big on physical fitness so swimming, walking, snow sliding and more they all did as a family. Their detailed descriptions of Christmas and their birthdays were filled with overwhelming love, the morning would start with a song as the birthday person awoke, to breakfast filled with presents and food and countless performances throughout the day. Albert and Victoria were deeply in love, each one was apart of the other. It was stated the the strongest presence at Osbourne was Albert. His death devastated Victoria, in the beginning she was inconsolable. She lived in Albert's room and clung to Alice until her marriage. And wanted to keep her youngest, Beatrice, by her side. Finally she conceded to allow her marry. They had a working farm and were very good to all their employees, gave them homes, sick pay and whenever possible during the Crimean War gave them information about their loved ones. This book contains many watercolors by Victoria of her children and of the landscape, paintings that Albert & Victoria gave to each other as gifts and many personal black and white photos of their beloved family.
February 15, 2015
This was a very interesting book about Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's relationship and family life at Osborne House. The book caught my attention because I was born on the Isle of Wight and lived very close to Osborne House. I only visited it once when I was a teenager but now that I've read this book I hope to go see it again.
February 10, 2012
For all the wrong turns "Fergie" took, she got this one right. Just a breathtaking book. Five stars is not nearly enough.
November 10, 2011
We specifically went to the Isle of Wight to see Osborne House, where Queen Victoria and Prince Albert spent many days away from hectic court life. It's a beautiful house and setting.
February 14, 2016
Love English history so this was a fun and easy read.
March 12, 2023
Victoria is so interesting to me. I love reading about her. I love reading about her life after Albert died. I would love to visit this house. I do feel sorry for her daughters and how controlling she was after he died.
July 25, 2017
Beautiful illustrations and pictures! Really worth it if you are a queen Victoria buff.
July 17, 2023
I learned a lot about Queen Victoria that had not been in previous biographies. Very well researched
April 2, 2017
This is a well written and beautifully illustrated book focusing on what were undoubtedly the happiest years of Queen Victoria's life. It is rich in detail using primary source material obtained by permission of Queen Elizabeth by her daughter-in-law and author Sarah Ferguson. This book was published in 1991, so the reader will not find any new or startling facts within the pagers. What can be found are detailed accounts of the numerous occasions when Victoria, Albert and their growing family enjoyed a true family life. During this happy time of family life, the reader can experience the love, joy and inclusion that the Queen and Albert shared with their children. Days spent sledding in winter or chasing butterflies in summer come alive in a way that seems foreign to the dour overbearing Victoria of later years. After reading I came away with the feeling that at heart Victoria loved children. I found this book at my local library, and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in Victoria, Albert or British history. If you cannot find a local copy the current price on Amazon is as low as $3.00 and well worth the cost even if you plan to donate the book after reading.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews