Albert Barracks, the miniature fort at Osborne

The miniature barracks built at Osborne, on the Isle of Wight, in 1860 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's children to play in. As a boy, Prince Albert used to play in mock forts at Coburg, and it was probably his idea to build the barracks, together with a toy earthwork called Victoria Fort, near the Swiss Cottage at Osborne.
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert bought the Osborne estate in 1845, and there they created a private home away from court life. Victoria used Osborne for over 50 years, entertaining foreign royalty and visiting ministers, and finding solace there after Albert’s death in 1861. Today, many of the rooms are still filled with original furniture and works of art, while the planting in the grounds is to Albert’s designs.