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

AFTER WILSON & HAY (ACTIVE 1853-55)

John MacDonald (d. 1860) and the stag shot by Prince Albert (1819-61), Balmoral

7 Oct 1854

Albumen print | 15.7 x 18.3 cm (image) | RCIN 2906566

Photograph of full length portrait of the Jager, John MacDonald (d.1860), seated under a tree with his left leg resting on a stag. He holds a rifle on his lap. The stag was shot by Prince Albert (1819-61) on 5th Oct 1854 in Corrie Buie, Balmoral.

  • Creator(s)

    After Wilson & Hay (active 1853-55) (photographer)

  • 15.7 x 18.3 cm (image)

    28.2 x 22.9 cm (page dimensions)

  • MacDonald and the Stag Shot by the Prince on Oct 5 in Corrie Buie, Balmoral, Oct 7 1854 [Photographic Portraits. Vol 1/59 (1853-1857)]

  • Acquired by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert

  • Subject(s)
    • Natural Sciences & Mathematics
      • Zoology
        • Animals
          • Mammals
            • Deer
              • Red deer
                • Stags (male deer)
    • Social sciences
      • Ethnology
        • Costume & National dress
          • Costume-Great Britain
            • Costume-Scotland
              • Scottish Highland Dress
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.