The Majestic Mansion exhibition at Highcliffe Castle runs until Sunday 2 September.
The excellent display by the castle’s historian Ian Stevenson is marking the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee . The exhibition is well worth seeing as it contains new research.
First it is interesting to see the large number of Royal Family members who dropped in. For example the Queen of Sweden called with her son and fiancee just before their wedding at St Stephen’s Church in Bournemouth. Since the church was still being built, and was not licensed for marriages, the Royal couple were required to first attend a civil ceremony in Christchurch.
Queen Victoria never saw Highcliffe but there were huge plans made when her lady in waiting hinted that Her Majesty might sail over from the Isle of Wight.
The display reveals that Queen Adelaide’s doctor lived at Hordle House.
It was interesting to see a picture of Edward VII on one of his visits arriving at Hinton Admiral Station and to learn that on another occasion that the King and chauffeur wore goggles for the short trip in the open Daimler between castle and station.
The last Royal visitor was the Duke of Gloucester who as an architect and English Heritage commissioner took a great interest in the building. That visit did not get much press coverage since it took place as news was reaching the UK of the twin towers  attack in New York.
