Who was Princess Beatrice?
Princess Beatrice was born at Buckingham Palace (1857) the youngest of Queen Victoria's nine children.
Destined to become her mother's lifelong companion and loyal assistant. Queen Victoria only allowed her to marry Prince Henry Maurice of Battenberg (the marriage took place at St Mildred’s Church, Whippingham near Osborne, on 23 July 1885) on the condition that they made their home with her. The couple had four children.
Queen Victoria made Prince Henry governor of the Isle of Wight, but he grew restless at Osborne House. When he slipped away on a jaunt to Corsica, the Queen sent a warship to bring him back!
Princess Beatrice was appointed governor after her husband's death in 1896 from malaria contracted whilst fighting in West Africa. She continued as the Queen’s companion and unofficial secretary, living at Osborne Cottage on the Osborne Estate until 1912, when she moved to the governor's house at Carisbrooke Castle.
The Princess made many changes at the castle, including restoring the gatehouse as a memorial to her late husband and re-building the chapel. By 1923, the garden she changed from a kitchen garden into her private Edwardian-style pleasure garden.
Princess Beatrice survived her mother by 43 years and died aged 87 in 1944. She was buried beside her husband at Whippingham.
