In the mid-nineteenth century Winterhalter was one of Europe’s most fashionable portrait painters. There are over 100 oil paintings and watercolours by the artist in the Royal Collection, demonstrating how much of a favourite he was with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Winterhalter painted these watercolour portraits on one of his regular visits to England. They were reproduced as prints with the Queen’s permission, and the royal couple gave copies of them to their relations, friends and acquaintances.