A ROYAL TRADITION
George III cemented the trend for bathing machines at Weymouth in 1789, with his octagonal structure which bore the royal crest. He was an enthusiastic proponent of the benefits of seawater, and his patronage turned Weymouth into one of Britain’s most popular resorts. He would change inside the bathing machine and be wheeled down to the sea, where a brace of female royal dippers would accompany him into the waters, before leading him back inside to dress.
His granddaughter greatly enjoyed the beach too. At Osborne House, on the Isle of Wight, Queen Victoria was persuaded by her husband Prince Albert of the benefits of sea bathing, and with their children spent many blissful times here. Victoria would sketch from inside her bathing machine, while the children, including the future King Edward VII, learned to swim. Curtains would protect her modesty from any prying eyes as she immersed herself in the sea. Victoria first took the plunge in 1847, noting in her diary that it was “delightful” until she put her head under, whereupon she thought she would be “stifled”.
In the 1930s, George V and his wife Mary were pictured at a beach hut in Sussex, and the 5th Earl of Leicester, who owns the Holkham Estate, some 15 miles from Sandringham, gave a chalet to HM The Queen. It was a secluded spot, and popular for Royal Family picnics. Apparently the Queen Mother enjoyed walking her corgis on the beach; the Duke of Edinburgh loved to barbecue there, and even used to spend the night there sometimes in one of the bunk beds. But in 2003, it was destroyed in an arson attack. While more than 70 firemen tried to save it, all that remained were the steps up to the chalet and the brick chimney stack.