Treasured cedar falls in high winds at Queen Victoria's island retreat

The 250 year old Lebanese cedar fell in high winds Credit: English Heritage

A 250-year-old tree at Queen Victoria's island retreat has fallen down in high winds.

The Lebanese cedar, one of several in the grounds of Osborne House in East Cowes on the Isle of Wight, succumbed to a storm last week, according to English Heritage.

The charity, which manages the estate, said the tree was due to felled because of its bad health, but "nature beat us there".

Before the fall, the cedar was already noticeably leaning from a previous storm Credit: English Heritage

A social media post explained that the tree predated Queen Victoria, having been planted in the 1770s by Robert Pope Blanchford, Osborne's previous owner.

It was then retrained by Prince Albert, when he made improvements to the gardens.

The tree had been on a noticeable lean since a storm in either 1987 or 1990, according to the organisation.

There are other Lebanese Cedars still at Osborne, and English Heritage said it would plant another on the same spot as the one that had fallen as a replacement.

Queen Victoria's daughter Princess Beatrice buried her dog Bleny in 1893 at the base of the tree.

The memorial headstone has been disturbed by the tree's fall but will be reinstated next to the newly planted tree.

The colossal tree will take some time to remove Credit: English Heritage

Queen Victoria died at Osborne House in 1901.

Against her explicit wishes, her successor, Edward VII, gave the estate to the nation on his Coronation Day the following year.