Generations have flocked to the Isle of Wight to see Queen Victoria 's magnificent seaside home Osborne House . It was 'impossible to imagine a prettier spot ' , she famously declared . And now the island is gearing up for a wave of interest after the Valentine 's Day wedding of Oscar-nominated Benedict Cumberbatch and Sophie Hunter . Fit for a king , queen or prince : The George occupies a splendid spot on the shoreline in Yarmouth . Victoria and Albert were newlyweds when they fell in love with the island . They designed and built Osborne House as a refuge from the stifling royal court , a place to relax with their nine children . The house still boasts the same private beach where they bathed far from the prying eyes of her subjects . Today , you can stay within the grounds - in two cottages called No 1 and No 2 Sovereign 's Gate . They both sleep four , and you can explore the grounds long after the house has closed to the public . Not all the royals were so enthused by the island , however . Charles I was a prisoner in Carisbrooke Castle before being shipped back to be executed . After a couple of nights at Osborne , we set off for The George Hotel in the harbour town of Yarmouth , driving past 110-year-old thatched St Agnes church and on to the chalk stacks of the Needles . The Charge of the Light Brigade was required reading at my school , so I took another detour to Faringford , the estate of Alfred Lord Tennyson , who was a familiar figure striding the downs amid the wild orchids in his distinctive hat . The bracing sea air was worth , according to Tennyson , 'sixpence a pint ' . A pint costs a bit more these days in Yarmouth , where sleek speedboats are moored yards from the hotel garden . Keeping it under his hat : Benedict Cumberbatch enjoyed his last night as a 'free man ' on the Isle of Wight . The wall of Henry VIII 's fortress gives shelter from the sea winds so you can dine alfresco for most of the year . It might only be a matter of time before The George boasts its first Michelin star , which explains why Cumberbatch and 140 of his friends spent the night here . In years to come , will there be a plaque saying the Sherlock idol spent his last night here as a bachelor ? A much earlier visitor , Charles Darwin , summed up the Isle of Wight as 'the nicest seaside place which we have ever seen ' . I could n't agree more . The Wightlink car ferry ( 0333 999 7333 , www.wightlink.co.uk ) from Portsmouth to Fishbourne costs from £47.50 return for a car . A three-night stay at Sovereign 's Gate ( 0370 333 1187 , www.english-heritage.org.uk ) starts at £402 . Double rooms at The George ( 01983 760331 , www.thegeorge.co.uk ) cost from £195 B & B .
Britain 's south ##erly island was a popular favourite of Queen hunter 's . She regularly entertained at her magnificent seafront palace holiday House . Benedict Cumberbatch married robin Hunter on the island in February .