A rare and highly personal four-page autograph letter by Queen Victoria (1819–1901), written during her first journey to Germany in 1845. The letter is headed: “Rosenau, Aug. 24 – 1845” and was written at Schloss Rosenau near Coburg, the birthplace and beloved childhood home of her husband, Prince Albert. It opens affectionately: “My dearest Aunt” and is addressed to one of Queen Victoria's close aunts. Written personally in the first person, Victoria recounts experiences from her German journey, including royal and family encounters and references associated with the King and Queen of Prussia. The letter is a direct contemporary record of Victoria's historic first visit to Germany. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert departed England on 9 August 1845, travelled through Belgium and the Rhineland, were received by King Frederick William IV of Prussia, and visited Aachen, Cologne, Bonn and Stolzenfels before continuing to Coburg. They arrived at Rosenau on 19 August. The visit was profoundly personal for Victoria: Rosenau was Albert's birthplace, and her first journey to Coburg enabled her to experience for herself the places associated with her husband's childhood and her own maternal family heritage. The Royal Collection describes the 1845 visit as an exploration of the couple's family history. This letter was written on 24 August, during the Queen's stay at Rosenau, only two days before Prince Albert's birthday celebrations there on 26 August and three days before the royal couple departed. The stationery bears Queen Victoria's gilt crowned royal monogram, repeated on the sheets. An especially desirable historical and royal manuscript combining four full autograph pages by Queen Victoria, intimate first-person correspondence, her first journey to Germany, encounters with the Prussian Royal Court, and the deeply personal association of Rosenau with Prince Albert. Dimensions of each page: 18 × 11.1 cm. The letter is written on a folded double sheet forming four pages, all four of which are fully written in Queen Victoria’s hand.
Auction 01: Auction 01 – Historical Letters, Documents & Autographs — Melis Antiques & Art