The Durbar Room at Osborne was designed by Rudyard Kipling’s Father, Lockwood Kipling and decorated with extraordinary Indian style plasterwork by master craftsman Bhai Ram Singh. It was designed to celebrate Queen Victoria’s status as the then ‘Empress of India’.
It’s quite unlike any other room we have seen, except perhaps for the Egyptian dining room at Goodwood.
So what do you think? Is this cultural appropriation at its worst….or… a reflection of past imperial pride which needs to be taken in the context of Victorian values?
Osborne, on the Isle of Wight, was built as a holiday home for Queen Victoria and her family. The exterior takes its inspiration from Italian Villas but the interiors are a fascinating insight into her and Prince Albert’s very personal tastes.