Portrait of Princess Charlotte of Wales

Painting by George Dawe

Princess Charlotte

Artist| George Dawe
Year| 1817
Type| Oil on canvas, portrait
Dimensions| 139.7 cm × 108 cm (55.0 in × 43 in)
Location| National Portrait Gallery, London

Princess Charlotte is an 1817 portrait painting by the British artist George Dawe depicting Princess Charlotte of Wales, the daughter of the Prince Regent.[1]

Charlotte was the only child of the Regent, the future George IV and his estranged wife Caroline of Brunswick, and was next-in-line to the British throne after her father and grandfather George III – who had in 1811 been declared insane beginning the Regency era. The painting was exhibited in the year of her death, in childbirth, following her marriage to Prince Leopold in 1816. Her unexpected death led to a succession crisis for the British monarchy until the birth of her cousin Queen Victoria in 1819.

Charlotte is depicted wearing the Russian Order of Saint Catherine. Britain and Russia had been allies during the recent Napoleonic Wars and Charlotte was presented the award by Maria Feodorovna, the wife of the former Tsar.[2] The portfolio under her left arm is likely a reference to her artistic accomplishments. It is now part of the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London[3] with a copy in the Royal Collection.[2] The same year Thomas Lawrence also produced a portrait of the princess.[4]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Perry p.156
2. ^ a b https://www.rct.uk/collection/402491/princess-charlotte-of-wales-1796-1817
3. ^ https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw01255/Princess-Charlotte-Augusta-of-Wales
4. ^ Stott p.xiv

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Perry, Lara. History's Beauties: Women in the National Portrait Gallery, 1856–1900. Ashgate Publishing, 2006.
* Stott, Anne M. The Lost QueenThe Life and Tragedy of the Prince Regent's Daughter. Pen & Sword, 2020.