
Built probably by Thomas Cubitt in the 1840s, ‘Albert Cottage’ was bought
in 1852 by Prince Albert to be part of a Botanic Garden development of the
Osborne House Estate, and was used together with the adjacent Osborne
Cottage by Royal guests.
In 1899 a covered corridor was constructed
to link the two properties and allow easy access
without having to
brave the weather. This corridor now links the main Hotel and
Consort
Restaurant & Bar area.
When Queen Victoria died in
1901, Edward
VII
kept both cottages for the use of her youngest daughter
Princess
Beatrice.
In 1916 the Princess moved
to Carisbrooke Castle and
Albert
Cottage was
sold to Sir Richard Burbidge, philanthropist Managing
Director of Harrods.
It was again sold in 1924 to The Hon. Elizabeth
Storr,
widow of Major L.P.
Storr DSO, a war hero killed in action in
France in
1918. After later
neglect
it was turned into a hotel in
1999 and now
further developed by
current owners HTP Training.

The husband of Queen Victoria – Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg & Gotha, later HRH The Prince Consort – was the only husband of a British Queen to have held this title. Albert was involved in many public causes, such as the abolition of slavery, and managed the Queen's household and estates.