January 2026

The End of the Victorian Era

When Queen Victoria came to the throne in 1837 the population of Britain was 25 million.  By the time of her death in 1901 that had risen to 40 million. In 1837 there were 30miles of railway track in Britain, which had increased to 24,700 miles by 1901. In 1837 the Government spent just £20,000 on education, which rose to £12 million by 1901, with little inflation.

Here on the Island, Osborne House became the centre of the British Empire whenever Queen Victoria was in residence.   Visiting heads of state, diplomats, and royalty all came to the Island to see her, along with the prime minister and other politicians.  Victoria usually spent Christmas here, and she arrived here on 18th December 1900.  Her doctor noted that she was a little confused for a couple of days, then recovered after resting.

She received Field Marshall Lord Roberts on the 2nd January, 1901, hearing about his latest Boer War success.  But this was to be her last official engagement.  Concern for her health increased and bulletins were posted on the gates of Osborne from the 19th January, culminating with, “ The Queen is dead”, on the evening of the 22nd January. She was 81 years old.  Many of her family were with her.

The procession leaves Osborne House.

Arrangements were made for the funeral which was to take place on 2nd February.  Here on the Island this involved her departure from East Cowes on the Royal Yacht Alberta on the 1st February.  The Royal family would walk down York Avenue following the funeral cortége.

Entering York Avenue from the Queen's Gate

Around three thousand troops were brought to the Island to assist the Isle of Wight Rifle Brigade in lining the route.  300 policemen were sent here.  Bandsmen, pipers, dignitaries, horses and the gun carriage to carry the coffin arrived.  The coffin should have arrived from London two days after her death, but delays meant that instead it was made here on the Island by the firm of Marvins, using seasoned timber from the Norris Castle Estate.

Queen Victoria's funeral passes East Cowes Town Hall.

The day of the departure was fair weather, thankfully, for about 40,000 people flocked to East Cowes to watch their Queen make her last journey from the Island.  Many walked from Whippingham station or crossed the Medina via the chain ferry.  York Avenue was lined with people, standing eight deep.  Every window in every house along the route was filled with people.  Stands of seating for 300 people had been erected outside the Town Hall by East Cowes Town Council.  The proceeds from these seats were given to the IW County Hospital and East Cowes Dispensary.  Every wall was occupied.  All wore mourning clothes of black, but it had been decreed that any decoration along the route was to be of purple and white.  The Queen wanted a white funeral.

Ticket 33 for the stand outside East Cowes Town Hall

She had left meticulous details with her dresser of the mementoes that she wanted placed in her coffin with her, but in her hand, unbeknownst to the Royal Family, was to be placed a photograph of John Brown and a lock of his hair, hidden beneath flowers.

Passing the Town Hall.

The coffin was placed on the gun carriage and her crown placed on the pall covering it.  The troops accompanying the carriage took their positions, the King and his relatives followed the carriage on foot and the procession moved off.  The Queen’s servants brought up the rear of the procession. 

Lower York Avenue.

The muffled drums beat out a slow pace as the Queen’s entrance to Osborne was reached and the crowds of people there saw the Queen’s coffin borne on its way down hill.

It was the end of the Victorian era, 125 years ago.