Meet Queen Victoria on Star Island during the Historic Star Conference, taking place from August 24 to August 31 at the Isles of Shoals. As part of the living history programs offered, historian Sally Mummey will portray her royal highness in full regalia, drawing on the monarch’s letters and diaries for conversation.

As participants explore the theme of “Gaslight: the Victorian Era at the Isles of Shoals & Beyond,” they will witness the sometimes macabre but always fascinating mourning customs of the Victorians, and tour the graveyards of Star Island.

Other programs will contrast the amazing detail of 19th century clothing for the well-to-do with the life of workers in regional mills. Attendees will learn how this dichotomy was reflected in the lives of Gosport fishermen and resort hotel guests on the Shoals.

Several artistic workshops will be offered, including one on the Victorian art of seaweed pressing. Victorian-era rocking chairs will line the historic Oceanic Hotel porch, offering an amazing vista of the endless sea.

The general public is welcome to attend either the first 3 days or the full 7 days of the Historic Star conference. Participants will stay in the historic Oceanic Hotel and the surrounding buildings on Star Island. Registration is $65 per person for 3 days and $100 for 7 days. Room and board, including all meals and round-trip boat transportation from Portsmouth aboard the M/V Thomas Laighton, starts at $330 per person. Click here to register, or for more information.