"Osborne House #3" I took the courtesy minibus to Swiss Cottage where nine royal children studied and played. Then I walked down the path to the Queen's once strictly private beach. Solent is the strait between the Isle of Wight and the mainland. It is not only a major shipping route but also a water sports mecca. What caught my eye was not the sea but the rear view with a glimpse of Osborne House among the swaying trunks and branches of trees, as well as the shadows on the beach.