St. Mildred's Church, Whippingham

St Mildred’s Church stands in the village of Whippingham on the Isle of Wight. It is the parish church of the area and is closely linked with Queen Victoria, who often stayed at nearby Osborne House. The present building replaced an earlier medieval church in the early 19th century and was later redesigned with Prince Albert’s involvement. The chancel was added in the 1850s and the rest of the church completed in the 1860s. A side chapel holds the tomb of Prince Henry of Battenberg and Princess Beatrice. The church is worth visiting for its royal connections and fine architecture. Queen Victoria took a close interest in the village and many memorials inside honour members of her family. These include Prince Albert, Princess Alice and Prince Leopold. A separate memorial remembers Hessian soldiers who fought for Britain in the 1790s and were buried in the churchyard. The church also contains the graves of several members of the Battenberg and Mountbatten families. Inside, the church has striking rose windows and a large octagonal lantern above the nave. The Battenberg Chapel holds a double sarcophagus of white marble for Prince Henry and Princess Beatrice. Outside, the tower resembles a castle on the Rhine with its five tall pinnacles. The churchyard contains graves of Prince Louis of Battenberg, Princess Victoria and the yachtsman Uffa Fox. War graves of Commonwealth service personnel from both world wars are also found there.