The first 207 visitors to Osborne House this Sunday will receive a free slice of Victoria sponge to mark Queen Victoria’s birthday.
Visitors to Osborne House on the Isle of Wight are in for a royal treat this weekend as the former home of Queen Victoria marks what would have been her 207th birthday.
The first 207 people through the doors on Sunday (24th May) will receive a voucher for a free slice of Victoria sponge cake.
Although 207 may not be a conventional anniversary milestone, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert spent many of their birthdays at Osborne between 1846 and Albert’s death in 1861.
Staff at the English Heritage site hope the gesture will help bring to life the birthday traditions once enjoyed by the royal couple at their Island residence.
Queen Victoria regularly recorded her birthday celebrations in her journals, offering a glimpse into how much she enjoyed the occasion.
Queen Victoria wrote in her journal on Monday 24th May 1852:
“It is always a delightful moment going into the room where my presents are arranged, and I still have the same feeling I had as a child”
Her birthdays would often begin with a band playing beneath her window before she joined her family in the Horn Room, where flowers, decorations and gifts were laid out.
Many of the presents given to Victoria remain on display at Osborne today.
Visitors will be treated to Victoria sponge, the cake widely associated with the monarch. The classic sponge, traditionally sandwiched with raspberry jam and dusted with sugar, is thought to have been one of Queen Victoria’s favourites.
Victoria Stone, Osborne Site Manager, has said:
“Too often when we talk about historical anniversaries we focus on the big numbers, 100, 250, 500.
“But Osborne was very much the home of both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s birthdays, and we want to celebrate that.
“We are always looking for ways to bring history to life and by surprising those first 207 visitors with a slice of birthday cake, we hope to bring some of the joy Victoria and Albert felt, having a day full of treats in such a beautiful, decadent setting.”
The first 207 visitors to Osborne on Sunday will receive a voucher on arrival, with instructions on how to collect their slice of cake before exploring the historic house, grounds, Swiss Cottage and beach.
You know she’s dead now right?
More cake for us then!
Sadly a badly run tourist trap these days
Free cake for the privileged few, but NO ACCESS for the King Charles Coastal route.
Just stop going and save your money for a better cause, like FOTA.