This website presents our knowledge and research on this important aspect of the Royal Collection. As of April 2026 it will not be regularly updated and new research on this topic will sit within the main website.

Visit the Royal Collection

Portraiture

Prince Albert was an early adopter of portrait photography

WILLIAM HENRY SOUTHWELL (1823-70)

Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII (1841-1910)

Mar 1860

Albumen print | 8.9 x 6.3 cm (image) | RCIN 2900273

Photograph of a full length portrait of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII (1841-1910) seated at a table, facing left. He turns his head towards the camera and looks to the left. He holds a book open with both hands on the table. There is a curtain on the far left side of the photograph.

  • Creator(s)

    William Henry Southwell (1823-70) (photographer)

    Subject(s)

    King Edward VII, King of the United Kingdom (1841-1910)

  • annotation: [above] The Prince of Wales./ March, 1860./ [beneath] Southwell. [above and beneath work]

  • 8.9 x 6.3 cm (image)

    31.0 x 24.7 cm (page dimensions)

  • Acquired by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert 

  • Object type(s)
      • visual works
        • photographs
PreviousNext
PreviousNext
Policy links
Royal Collection TrustIn Partnership with

Royal Collection Trust is a charity caring for the Royal Collection and welcoming visitors to the royal palaces. We bring our shared history to life through world-class experiences that involve and inspire people, wherever they are. Income from tickets and retail sales helps us to conserve the Collection so that it can be enjoyed by everyone for generations to come.