The Royal Family, Osborne 1857

Institution

Royal Collection Trust

Object description:

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. This is one of the few photographs which show Queen Victoria and Prince Albert with all their nine children (from left to right: Prince Alfred, Princess Alice, Princess Helena, Prince Leopold, Princess Beatrice, Prince Arthur, Princess Royal, Prince of Wales and Princess Louise). It was taken two days after the Queen's birthday. A month later, in June 1857, Prince Albert was given the official title of Prince Consort.

Object/Work type:

photographs

Cultural Heritage type:

Visual Works (hierarchy name)

Location:

London - United Kingdom

Object measurements:

15.8 x 18.3 cm (image). 31.0 x 24.7 cm (whole object)

Commissioning

Queen Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom (1819-1901) (Commissioner)

Material/Technique: [None]

Production

Caldesi & Montecchi (active 1857-67) (photographer)

Date: 26 May 1857

Place: England; Osborne

Material/Technique: Albumen print

Provenance

Queen Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom (1819-1901) (Acquirer)

Material/Technique: [None]

Subject/theme:

Sculpture, King Edward VII, King of the United Kingdom, Edward VII, King of Great Britain, Empress Friedrich, consort of Friedrich III, Emperor of Germany & King of Prussia, 1st daughter of Queen Victoria, Victoria, Empress, consort of Frederick III, Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse & by Rhine, consort of Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse & by Rhine, 2nd daughter of Queen Victoria, Alice, Grand Duchess, consort of Ludwig IV, Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg & Gotha, 2nd son of Queen Victoria, Princess Helena, consort of Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg, 3rd daughter of Queen Victoria, Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, wife of John, 9th Duke of Argyll, 4th daughter of Queen Victoria, Louise, Princess, Duchess of Argyll, Queen Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom, Victoria, Queen of Great Britain, Prince Albert, Prince Consort, consort of Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom, Albert, Prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Glücksburg, Prince Arthur, 1st Duke of Connaught, 3rd son of Queen Victoria, Prince Leopold, 1st Duke of Albany, 4th son of Queen Victoria, Princess Beatrice, wife of Prince Henry of Battenberg, 5th daughter of Queen Victoria

Resource

Rights Type:  

Record

Source: Royal Collection Trust