THE Isle of Wight remains a popular holiday destination in 2026 but it has been visited by holidaymakers since the 1850s, among them Marx and Engels.Queen Victoria began staying at Osborne House from 1845 — its extension was completed in 1851 — and was there for several months in the spring and early summer of 1848.The threat of revolution from the Chartists on April 10 1848, following a pattern of European revolutions, was felt to be sufficiently serious for the royals to evacuate from London.