Monsieur Musard

Our version of Monsieur Musard inspired by the young Princess’ doll.

Of the 132 dolls in the Royal Collection, only 5% are males, including this very charming musical clown that the Princess named Monsieur Musard. It is believed that he is named after the famous celebrity French violinist and composer, Phillipe Musard, who conducted many operas and balls for the court. Among his many accomplishments, he is today known as having introduced open air concerts.

Clown Monsieur Musard & Mlle. Leontine Heberlé, dressed by young Princess Victoria. Color plate after an illustration by Alan Wright from Frances H. Low’s Queen Victoria’s Dolls, George Newness, London, 1894.

Musard became one of the most famous personalities of Europe during the 1830s and 1840s, and his concerts in Paris and London were huge successes. At the time when the social elites started distinguishing between classical music and popular music, Philippe Musard invented promenade concerts for the masses. Concerts in London even began to be advertised as concerts "à la Musard."

He had considerable personal charm, and was known for being quite the showman relying on his personality, not his physical attractiveness, to hold his audience.

Philippe Musard (8 November 1792 – 31 March 1859)

Since music held a special place in the lives of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert with both being skilled piano players, it is no wonder she would invite Musard, who was an international star at the time, to compose and conduct the dance quadrille's he had made famous for her court balls. And it does not require a leap of faith to conclude that the musical clown she named Monsieur Musard was named so for the famous French composer.

According to Frances Low, Monsieur Musard was “dressed by Princess Victoria and the only doll with an unmistakable man’s face.” Below is a photo of Victoria’s grodnertal that she named Monsieur Musard side by side with our creation. He has the same short curls framing his face and a very distinctive nose just like the original.

To the left is our creation of Monsieur Musard and to the right is the grodnertal from the Princess’ collection.

Monsieur Musard carries a wooden guitar and is dressed in the same colorful silks that he was dressed in originally. In the photo below, you can see his colorful costume while on display at Kensignton Palce.

Monsieur Musard second on the right with others from the Queen’s collection.

Monsieur Musard is now available to purchase from our website by clicking HERE