Woburn Abbey

Queen Victoria's Bedroom

These rooms were kept mainly for visiting royalty and seldom used, otherwise they were shuttered and the furniture covered, with the result that everything remained in marvellous condition. Unfortunately, as the shutters are now open most of the year and light is a great destroyer of fabric, the wall hangings had to be renewed in 1973 but they are a copy of the previous silk of 1820. Charles I and Queen Henrietta stayed here in 1636 and Charles again in 1647. During the 4th Duke's rebuilding this room was gutted and completely redesigned. Now it derives its name from the visit of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert when the royal couple were given this suite of rooms for their use. Their other rooms include the Dressing Room and Yellow Drawing Room. The Queen wrote in her diary, Òin the bedroom and my dressing-room there are some very fine pictures: in the former hangs one of Lord Russell's trial, by Hayter, one by Wilkie, a Landseer, a beautiful St John by Hayter with his portrait of Lord John and a very fine EastlakeÓ. All these paintings except the Wilkie remain in the collection; the trial scene and the Eastlake Pilgrims in Sight of Rome still hang in this bedroom. Over the doorways are two portraits by William Fowler of Victoria as a young Princess and Queen, and the picture to the right of the fireplace is a beautiful coastal scene by Richard Bennington. The etchings underneath the Trial painting were done by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and given to the 7th Duchess.