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

THOMAS RICHARD WILLIAMS (1825-71)

'Victoria, Princess Royal'; Victoria, Princess Royal, later German Empress Frederick III (1840-1901)

21 - 21 Nov 1856

Albumen print hand-coloured in watercolour | 10.8 x 8.8 cm (image) | RCIN 2914270

Hand-coloured photograph of a three-quarter length portrait of Victoria, Princess Royal, later German Empress Frederick III (1840-1901) on her 16th birthday. The Princess stands, facing halfway to the right. She wears a white off-the-shoulders dress, a lace cap and white gloves.  The Princess stands by a screen and green curtains.

  • Creator(s)

    Thomas Richard Williams (1825-71) (photographer)

    Grey (active 1856) (colourist)

    Subject(s)

    Empress Friedrich, German Empress and Queen of Prussia (1840-1901)

  • 10.8 x 8.8 cm (image)

  • Commissioned 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.