The Royal Family on the terrace at Osborne

Photograph of a group portrait of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert with their nine children standing on the terrace at Osborne. Statue in recess in the background. The portrait features, from left to right, Prince Alfred, Prince Albert, Princess Helena, Prince Arthur, Princess Alice, Queen Victoria holding Princess Beatrice, Victoria, Princess Royal, Princess Louise, Prince Leopold and Albert Edward, Prince of Wales.

Following the birth of Princess Beatrice on 14 April 1857, Queen Victoria went to Osborne on the Isle of Wight to recuperate with her family. On 23 May Signor Caldesi, of Caldesi and Montecchi, was summoned from London to make a series of photographs of the royal children. Caldesi's account for these photographs reveals that in the following month the photographer was also called to Buckingham Palace several times to make a further series of photographs. Some of these were part of the flurry of photographic activity that preceded the wedding of the Princess Royal; others were intended as birthday presents for Prince Albert.