Bracelet with a miniature of Prince Albert and a photograph of Victoria, Princess Royal

Minitaure of Prince Albert; bust-length, in evening dress with the ribbon of the Order of the Garter. Set in a flexible gold bracelet clasp supplied in 1860 by Garrards (RA GL, 29 November 1860), the lid with engraved inscription 'ALBERT / 1840' and applied floral decoration; the reverse with four-leaf clover and engraved inscription 'Coburg 1st October 1860' and pendant shell, engraved 'from Victoria / 1st Feb 1858, containing photograph of Victoria, Princess Royal; the gold bracelet with broad mesh band by Garrards added in 1866 to replace the original black velvet band.

This miniature of Prince Albert painted shortly before his marriage. Schmidt follows very closely the face pattern from the oil portrait that George Patten had been despatched to paint in Gotha early in 1840, although Schmidt has substituted evening dress where Patten portrays the Prince at half-length in the uniform of the Saxonian Light Infantry (404246; Royal Collection). The inscription 'Coburg 1st October 1860' and the four-leaf clover added to the bracelet commemorate the Prince Consort's lucky escape from serious injury in a carriage accident, which occurred while the Prince was visiting Coburg. Queen Victoria recorded in her Journal a year later: 'The anniversary of that fearful accident which befel [sic] my dearest Albert at Coburg last year. May God ever extend His mercy to him, as He did so signally then. Have founded a Charity at Coburg, in remembrance of it' (RA QVJ).

The pendant shell contains a photograph of Victoria, Princess Royal, at the time of her marriage in 1858.