Princess Beatrice at Northwood House, Cowes, Isle of Wight, 1929. On 4 September 1929, Princess Beatrice (1857-1944), Royal Governor of the Isle of Wight and the youngest daughter of Queen Victoria, accepted from the owner Captain Ward the deed to Northwood House and grounds. Watched by a large gathering of townspeople, the Princess handed the deeds over to Mr F W Beken, chairman of Cowes Urban District Council. The gifting of Northwood House and Northwood Park, its 26-acre 'pleasure park', was conditional upon the house being used as municipal offices and the grounds 'as pleasure gardens for the people of Cowes'.