The sculptor Le Sueur came to London from France in 1625 in the retinue of Charles I’s bride, Henrietta Maria. He undertook many sculpture commissions for the King, including a number of portrait busts, such as this one, which derive from the armoured equestrian statue of Charles I completed in 1633 and now in Trafalgar Square. Charles I (r.1625-1649) formed a spectacular art collection, making purchases throughout Europe. Much of the collection was sold after his execution but some of these treasures were recovered at the Restoration.