Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn

This portraitback to top

The original is the whole-length in the Fishmongers' Company Hall for which the Duke gave sittings to Beechey in 1814 (W. Roberts, Sir William Beechey R.A., 1907, pp 129-30). The NPG copy was probably painted for Sir Matthew Wood, Lord Mayor of London 1815-16 and re-elected 1816-17; he was a trustee of the Duke's estate and helped to manage the disposal of his house at Ealing and the purchase of his Sidmouth house at the time of his marriage to the Duchess. Wood's second son, later Lord Hatherley, bequeathed the portrait to the NPG in 1881.
A whole-length copy by Henry Le Jeune is in the Royal Collection (Sir Oliver Millar, The Later Georgian Pictures in the Collection of Her Majesty The Queen, 1969, 680); another copy is believed to have been given to the Duke's private chaplain who had written to congratulate him on the birth of Princess Victoria; another was in the Leger Gallery in 1927 (Burlington Magazine, 51, advertisement); a whole-length copy by William Hay (c.1885) is in Freemasons' Hall, London; an enamel copy by F. Scotney was exhibited SBA 1824 (518); a miniature copy by Johann Fischer was at Christie's 9 October 1979 (112).

Physical descriptionback to top

Half-length in uniform as Colonel of the Royal Scots Regiment of Foot, Ribbon and Star of the Garter, Badge of St Patrick from a green [sic] ribbon round his neck against black neckcloth, regimental white belt; clear blue eyes, rich brown hair and whiskers, ruddy complexion; cloudy background.

Provenanceback to top

Bequeathed by Lord Hatherley 1881.

Exhibitionsback to top

Probably RA, 1820 (82).

Reproductionsback to top

Large line engraving by Skelton (with shoulder belt plate of Royal Scots on the regimental belt) published by Skelton, 1 November 815; several small issues were engraved later by Skelton, Scriven, Thomson, Warren and others.


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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