WIREDGOV

The Swiss Cottage Quarter at Osborne holds a unique place in our history. It is where Queen Victoria’s children played: fighting mock battles on a miniature fort and barracks; holding birthday parties; cooking for their royal parents in a miniature kitchen; and selling vegetables which they’d grown in the nearby vegetable patches.

Now a new £1.65m project will reveal the hidden world of royal childhood at Osborne to the public for the first time, but we need your help to make it happen.

We’ve already secured nearly 95% of the money needed to make the project possible, with just £87,000 remaining to be raised. Donate whatever you can today, and help to:

• Make essential structural repairs to the Swiss Cottage and Museum. This will allow us to open currently closed-off spaces and remove the ceiling props, which have been introduced to support the first floor of the Swiss Cottage building.
• Conserve the historic collection of objects, amassed by the royal children from all over the world. Environmental conditions in the Swiss Cottage and Museum will be stabilised, making them better places to display the collection; and a new hands on exhibition will be created explaining the importance of the objects.
• We plan to build a new play area, inspired by the Swiss Cottage and Victoria Fort, where children will be able to play and learn at the same time. There will also be a new nature trail along the restored Rhododendron Walk, which will once more link the Swiss Cottage Quarter with Osborne bay. The conservation of the Gazelle House, formerly home to the children’s pet Gazelles, will accommodate a delicious new ‘cake shop’ café.
• A new, education and events programme for families and the local community will ensure that the Swiss Cottage is both better understood and enjoyed. A range of training opportunities for young and local people, along with a new volunteering programme, will provide valuable experience for those keen to work in the heritage industry.

Donate to the Swiss Cottage appeal today and you can help to bring the story of Childhood at Osborne to life.

If you donate to the project between Thurs 5 - Sat 7 December your gift could be doubled. To make a donation visit our Big Give webpage