Queen Victoria Visits Schloss Molsdorf
Schlossmuseum Molsdorf, 06/08 – 10/26/2025

On a very hot summer Sunday in 1845, precisely on August 31st, a young queen visits Molsdorf Castle: VICTORIA (1819 Kensington Palace – 1901 Osborne House) is travelling in Thuringia. She is accompanied by her husband, Prince Albert. Much to their regret, they had to leave their four young children behind in England, as traveling on the continent can be quite strenuous.
The Queen’s entourage that day includes Albert’s brother, Duke Ernst II of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and his wife, Duchess Alexandrine. They are accompanying their royal sister-in-law, who stays in Gotha, on an excursion to Molsdorf to show her one another family estate.
After her visit to Molsdorf Castle, the Queen wrotes in her diary:

The old Château belonged to a Count Götter, who lived there with a number of friends who belonged to an order, whose Motto was: “Vive la joie”, & who led very licentious lives; the rooms are completely full of Portraits of that time, & of curious ones; — of Frederick the 1st of Prussia, & his Ministers; of Frederic the Great when young, — of Pces of Gotha — & all of that time; & also of Pcesses & Ladies of that time; & below stairs there are Pictures of the dancers of the time. All the Ceilings are painted; — in the largest room upstairs is written in the corners of the ceiling: — “Vive la joie”. — After eating some excellent & quite red apples, we left Molsdorff; …

The portraits in the Great Hall of the palace mentioned by the Queen have been preserved almost completely and can still be viewed today. Likewise, the corner cartouches bearing the inscription “VIVE LA JOIE” still commemorate the former membership of the most important owner and builder of Molsdorf Castle, Count Gustav Adolf von Gotter (1692 Gotha – 1762 Berlin), in the ducal Order of the Merry Hermits.
On the other hand, not a single one of the female portraits contemplated by Victoria remains in the Cabinet of Ladies. The “Dancers of the time” have also long since disappeared from Molsdorf Castle.

On the occasion of the distinguished visit 180 years ago, the exhibition in 2025 was intended to give its current guests “royal eyes” and make visible what Queen Victoria once admired at Schloss Molsdorf. For this purpose, several historical black-and-white photographs from the Schlossmuseum’s archives, which cannot be displayed for conservation reasons, had been appropriately reproduced.
The royal souvenirs – watercolor views of the castle and drawings of the interiors – were also on display for the first time. Originally commissioned for and by Victoria & Albert, they were later personally inserted by the Queen and the Prince into private albums. These images are still in royal possession in London today and were made available as reproductions for the exhibition.
In addition, two depictions of Molsdorf Castle, which were probably originally intended for Victoria & Albert, have been preserved in Thuringian museums. They were also on display for the first time, again as reproductions for conservation reasons.These historical souvenirs nowadays represent important visual documents of the eventful history of Schloss Molsdorf, whose “inner appearance” has changed over the centuries. It also clearly shows how much corresponding visitor souvenirs, including snapshots and selfies, have changed – and how easily they have become available to everyone thanks to new technologies.

The Queen’s diary entry according to: Queen Victoria’s Journals:
https://www.proquest.com/legacyredirect/qvj
(only for users in the UK and institutions with access rights) and:
https://about.proquest.com/en/products-services/queenvic/
This quotation is taken from the transcript of the so-called Draft Volumes / Queen Victoria’s Drafts (September 2, 1843 – December 10, 1855) of the Visit to Germany, a transcript written by the Queen herself after 1872.
All spellings and errors from that time have been incorporated into the translation.