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

UNKNOWN PERSON

Elizabeth Lucy , Countess of Desart (1822-98)

1859

Albumen print | 7.5 x 5.8 cm (image) | RCIN 2910641

Photograph of a full length portrait of Elizabeth Lucy, Countess of Desart (1822-98) seated at a table, facing three-quarters to the left. She turns her head and looks towards the camera. He rests her right arm on the table and places her right hand on her face.

The Countess was Lady of the Bedchamber between 1845 and 1864.

  • Creator(s)

    Unknown Person (photographer)

    Subject(s)

    Elizabeth Lucy Desart (1822-98)

  • annotation: Countess of Desart. [beneath work]

  • 7.5 x 5.8 cm (image)

    9.3 x 6.1 cm (mount)

    23.1 x 18.0 cm (page dimensions)

  • Acquired by Prince Albert

  • Object type(s)
      • visual works
        • albums
          • photograph albums
        • 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.