St Mildred's Church, East Cowes, United Kingdom

The village of Whippingham, and St Mildred's Church as its parish church, are best known for their connections with Queen Victoria. Whippingham was the centre of a royal estate supporting Osborne House and Barton Manor.

In 1804 a church was reconstructed by John Nash on the site of the lost medieval parish church: in 1854–60 it was pulled down and rebuilt. Prince Albert (the Prince Consort) took an active role in the redesigning of the church building. The chancel of the church was built in 1854 and 1855 by the architect Albert Jenkins Humbert although Prince Albert is thought to have had a guiding hand. The remainder of the church was constructed in 1861 and 1862.

A side chapel with the tomb of Prince Henry of Battenberg and Princess Beatrice, is dedicated to the Battenberg/Mountbatten family.

Queen Victoria took a close interest in 'her people' in Whippingham. This is reflected in the many memorials in St Mildred's Church which commemorate members of the Royal Family, including the Prince Consort, Princess Alice, Duchess of Hesse and Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany and members of the royal household.

The church also has a memorial to the Hessian soldiers who fought under the British flag in the 1790s, and were invalided to the Isle of Wight. Soldiers from the Musketeer Regiment Prinz Carl were housed in the newly built Whippingham mill, which became a temporary barrack and hospital. Eighty-four of them are buried in the churchyard. The memorial was unveiled in 1906 by the Landgrave of Hesse.

References:

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Religious sites in United Kingdom

User Reviews

James Aslett (4 months ago)
Beautiful and interesting church set in scenic grounds. A must visit.

Andrew Thomas (4 months ago)
Striking church with some impressive architectural details, in particular the ornate tower. The church was closed when I visited, but photos suggest the interior is similarly grand. The church is significant for its connections to the royal family, having been used by the royals for worship during their residence at Osborne. It is also home to the grave of Admiral of the Fleet, Louis Mountbatten.

Rob Wood (5 months ago)
Interesting old church, lots of info regarding its connection with Queen Victoria and her family (her daughter, Beatrice, married here). Nice little tea shop too, run by locals.

jenny bowie (9 months ago)
This is open Monday Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. There is a peace garden and lots of royal history throughout. Free entry. Cafe in the village hall.

Paul Hallgarth (2 years ago)
This church is located at Whippingham and was used by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert to worship when they were staying at Osborne House. Part of this delightful church was designed by Albert and it contains many reminders of both Victoria and Albert . The graveyard has a number of interesting graves to see. Perhaps the most significant one is the grave where Admiral of the Fleet Louis Mountbatten, formerly Prince Louis of Battenburg 1854-1921 and Victoria, Princess of Hesse 1863-1950 are buried. These are the Grandparents of the late Duke of Edinburgh.

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St Mildred's Church

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