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| The first Christmas of Queen Victoria was spent at Woolbrook Cottage. Images from Wikimedia Commons and the Royal Collection Trust. |
Queen Victoria’s first Christmas was not spent in a grand palace, but rather in the homely Woolbrook Cottage in Sidmouth a town situated on the English Channel coast in Devon. Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent, already facing the financial pinch severely, decided to leave London and bring his family to this quiet town where they could celebrate Christmas.
About four in the afternoon of Friday, December 24th, 1819, a chaise containing the family travelled to the secluded Woolbrook Cottage. It was a damp and gloomy day, the winter was unusually severe. The duke’s company, consisting of a lady, gentleman, and two maids, seemed unfazed since they were wrapped up from the vehicle.
On the journey from Kensington to Sidmouth, the royal travellers stopped by and visited the Bishop of Salisbury. Exuberant with pride and fondness for her new born, the duke laughingly told the prelate to be careful not to drop the baby, lest he should "spoil the Queen.” From the bishop's residence until they reach Sidmouth, the duke carried his little daughter on his lap, playing with and amusing her, and she had just gone to sleep when the chaise arrived at Woolbrook.
The freezing weather outside gave way to the cosiness of Woolbrook Cottage, offering the travellers a warm and homey respite. Specially-procured cedar logs blazed and crackled on the dog-irons, releasing a soothing scent. Candles of coloured wax gleamed from sconces on the walls, while holly, ivy, bay, and rosemary, the latter plant the duchess had a peculiar fondness, twined about the cornices and pannelled window ledges in every room, giving the whole place an aspect of festivity. Even the Royal babe's cot had its own particular garlands. For Christmas eve, all was merry and bright for the Duke and Duchess of Kent and their baby. Read the second part of the article here.
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