'The Reception of Louis-Philippe, King of the French, at Windsor Castle, 8 October 1844'

Glass plate negative of a painting depicting the reception of Louis Philippe, King of the French at Windsor Castle in 1844. Queen Victoria, Princess Victoria, Albert Edward, Prince of Wales and Princess Alice stand on one side and Louis Philippe stands on the other. One of Queen Victoria's children, likely Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, reaches out to greet the King. Each group, the French and English, is accompanied by a large entourage who stand on either side of the room. The scene is set in the Grand Reception Room, but Queen Victoria in fact received her visitor in the Grand Entrance.

The painting was possibly commisioned by Queen Victoria and completed around 1845. The French King had been anxious for a record of his reception and the French royal family were delighted with their picture. There is no contemporary record of Queen Victoria paying for this painting, but from the notes in the Queen’s Journal it seems as though she had made the original order but the King had expressed a wish to give it to her. Queen Victoria admired the ‘striking likenesses and considered it ‘really very valuable’.

The glass plate negative has been photographed showing the coated side and therefore the image appears laterally reversed. A print from this negative exists in the Collection, RCIN 2905970.