On 2 August 1874, the Empress of Austria, Elizabeth AKA Sisi, arrived on the Isle of Wight with her sister, the ex-Queen of Naples, Maria Sophie. Maria Sophie had told Elizabeth that the Island offered rare peace and privacy, a welcome change for a travelling royal.
Although Queen Victoria’s residence, Osborne House, was nearby, the Empress’s doctors had recommended sea air and bathing to improve her daughter Valerie’s health. This persuaded her to spend the summer in Ventnor and Steephill Castle was rented as their base.
At the time, Steephill Cove was promoted as a simple and wholesome retreat. An advertisement from the day reads:
“… A few houses near the sea and a stretch of sand that will appeal to the bather.
Use of huts – 6d
Macintosh bathing from the beach – 3d
Undressing on the beach is not permitted.”
The arrival of the Empress and her dazzling entourage caused quite a stir to Islanders in the quiet seaside town of Ventnor. She travelled with a full household of ladies-in-waiting, chaplains, governesses, chefs, doctors, hairdressers, and grooms. The Austrian Ambassador secured Steephill Castle, which offered privacy, space, and sweeping views over the English Channel. During their travels through Ventnor, the Empress and her household would also stay at The Royal Hotel, perhaps on recommendation from Queen Victoria, a regular visitor to The Royal, where she famously popularised afternoon tea.
Among the surviving illustrations from the time in Ventnor is a historic 1870's drawing of the town’s seafront, looking out across Ventnor Bay. The Royal can be seen at the top of Bath Road, and the image clearly shows a recently developed esplanade with a sea wall. Following Bath Road leads directly to The Royal’s seafront bath house. That very building is now home to the Spyglass Inn, and beneath its flooring, the original bathing pools still remain.
Queen Victoria once invited the Empress to Osborne House once she was settled, but their meeting was brief and formal. The Empress declined further invitations, remarking that the company was dull and the dinners uninspiring. Queen Victoria, unimpressed, commented that the Empress may have been beautiful but lacked a sense of royal duty. Valerie, the Empress’s daughter, 6, was frightened by the Queen, who was still dressed in full mourning, and noted she had never seen a lady so stout before. By contrast, her mother followed strict diets and intense fitness routines to maintain her slim figure.
The Empress visited friends while on the Island, including the German Crown Princess in Sandown and Princess Alexandra, the Princess of Wales. She described Alexandra kindly, saying she was “very kind, nice looking and deaf.”
The Castle Club arranged a race meeting in her honour. Enthusiastic about the idea, the Empress commissioned a silver-gilt cup from a London jeweller for the winning horse. The Imperial Cup, along with two other races, drew a huge crowd. A local farmer, Mr Weeks, rode the winning horse, ‘Beauty’, owned by Mr Bungay of Ventnor. The trophy, 17 inches tall and weighing 64 ounces, was inscribed:
Ventnor Steeplechase Cup Presented by Her Imperial and Royal Majesty The Empress of Austria Won by ‘Beauty’ the property of Mr Bungay of Ventnor Ridden by Mr Weeks of Fairfields On 29 September 1874
Ironically, the horse had once belonged to Mr Hambrough of Steephill Castle, who had sold her believing she was not fast enough.
William Judd, a local hotelier of the Royal Marine Hotel, rider, and businessman, later recalled the enormous crowd at the event. He had met the Empress and her party while riding on the downs. One of her equerries invited him to join the ride, and as they returned to Ventnor, the Empress said to him:
“I have been pleased with my visit to Ventnor. I like the people and it is possible I may return.”
By 1959, fire regulations had made Steephill Castle unsuitable for accommodation; by 1963, the site had become derelict and the grounds overgrown. Much of the stone was used to repair St Catherine’s Church in Ventnor.
Demolition revealed a great deal of the castle decor to have been clever fakes, with the wood not made of oak and the ornate carvings plaster mouldings. Had the blind Mr Hambrough been cheated by his builder?
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