Queen Victoria

Sitterback to top

• Queen Victoria (1819-1901), Reigned 1837-1901. Sitter associated with 444 portraits, Artist associated with 5 portraits.

Artistback to top

• Sir George Hayter (1792-1871), Portrait and history painter; son of Charles Hayter. Artist associated with 198 portraits, Sitter associated with 17 portraits.

This portraitback to top

Queen Victoria came to the throne at the age of eighteen on the death of her uncle, William IV, in 1837 and was crowned queen on 28 June 1838. She wrote in her journal on the day of her coronation: 'I really cannot say how proud I feel to be the Queen of such a Nation', and some of this idealism is conveyed in Sir George Hayter's coronation portrait. Victoria described a small version of this portrait, which Hayter painted for her private apartments, as 'excessively like and beautifully painted'. This version was given to the National Portrait Gallery by Queen Victoria in 1900 and is an autograph replica of an original of 1838.

Linked publicationsback to top

• Victorian Portraits Resource Pack, p. 8
• I-Spy National Portrait Gallery, 2010, p. 36
• Bayly, Christopher, The Raj: India and the British 1600-1947, 1990 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from 19 October 1990 - 17 March 1991), p. 331
• Cooper, John, Visitor's Guide, 2000, p. 70
• Cooper, John, A Guide to the National Portrait Gallery, 2009, p. 37
• Funnell, Peter, Victorian Portraits in the National Portrait Gallery Collection, 1996, p. 8
• Funnell, Peter (introduction); Marsh, Jan, A Guide to Victorian and Edwardian Portraits, 2011, p. 50
• Hart-Davis, Adam, Chain Reactions, 2000, p. 90
• Ormond, Richard, Early Victorian Portraits, 1973, p. 474
• Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 633

Subjects & Themesback to top

• Crests and Coats of Arms
• Crowns and tiaras
• On display at the Gallery
• Victorian tour