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A small study for a large painting by the artist, now in the National Portrait Gallery. This records the arrival of Princess Alexandra of Denmark at Gravesend, 7 March 1863, immediately prior to her marriage to Prince Albert, the Prince of Wales and the eldest son of Queen Victoria. It marks the moment when the Princess, accompanied by her family, stepped on to British soil following her disembarkation from the royal yacht 'Victoria and Albert' after a crossing of the North Sea. The principal figures are portraits taken either from life studies, or, in the case of the Danish royal family, from photographs. Princess Alexandra is wearing a blue-mauve dress with a velvet fur-trimmed jacket and is accompanied by her family: King Christian IX of Denmark, Princess Dagmar, later Empress of Russia, Prince Frederick of Denmark, Prince George of Denmark and Queen Louise.
Gravesend had a centuries old tradition as a place of departure and arrival for royalty and in 1858 had celebrated the departure of the Princess Royal to marry the Prince of Prussia. A popular destination for day trips from London, the town went to considerable expense to welcome the new Princess, and the painting shows the covered awning and red carpet laid specially for the occasion. From Gravesend the Prince of Wales and Princess Alexandra travelled by train to London to prepare for their wedding. The sombre mood of the royal party may be attributed to the mourning still in effect following Prince Albert's death in 1861.
Title
The Landing of HRH the Princess Alexandra at Gravesend, March 7 1863
Date
1864
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
H 47.2 x W 74.5 cm
Accession number
BHC1257
Work type
Painting
National Maritime Museum
Romney Road, Greenwich, London, Greater London SE10 9NF England
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