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Charlotte Augusta Matilda, Princess Royal

1 of 19 portraits of Charlotte Augusta Matilda, Princess Royal

Charlotte Augusta Matilda, Princess Royal, by Peter Rouw, circa 1795 -NPG 2174 - © National Portrait Gallery, London

© National Portrait Gallery, London

Regency Portraits Catalogue

Charlotte Augusta Matilda, Princess Royal

attributed to Peter Rouw
circa 1795
4 1/2 in. x 4 in. (114 mm x 102 mm) oval
NPG 2174

This portraitback to top

The wax was acquired in 1927 as a representation of Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales, daughter of George IV and was altered to the Princess Royal in time for the NPG Complete Illustrated Catalogue of 1981. Clearly it represents a lady wearing the high classical waist and cascading hair of the late 1790s. The Princess Royal was married to the Prince of Württemberg in 1797 and the profile may show her at about this date though it bears little resemblance to the Wedgwood medallion of ten years earlier attributed to Lochée. It carries no inscription, bore no provenance on acquisition, is unsupported by any analogous engraving or documentary confirmation, but is sufficiently like other portraits of the buxom Princess at this date to be credited cautiously as an authentic likeness.

Physical descriptionback to top

Head and shoulders to right in a high-waisted dress and tubulent hair-style.

Provenanceback to top

Bought from J. Lifetree 1927 (as Princess Charlotte of Wales).


This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: Richard Walker, Regency Portraits, National Portrait Gallery, 1985, and is as published then. For the most up-to-date details on individual Collection works, we recommend reading the information provided in the Search the Collection results on this website in parallel with this text.

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