Portrait of The Maharajah Duleep Singh

Duleep Singh (1838-93) was forced to resign his sovereignty as Maharajah of Lathore following the British annexation of the Punjab in 1849. He subsequently became a Christian and was sent to England in 1854, finding favour at the court of Queen Victoria. His striking dress and exotic presence was clearly a joy to the royal family. The Queen described him as 'Not quite sixteen, short, but singularly handsome, gentle, amiable and pleasing' in a letter to the King of Belgium (1854). In another letter to her sister (1858) she pronounced that 'Those eyes and those teeth are too beautiful'. This fondness was mutual as the Queen and Prince Consort became godparents to the Maharajah's appropriately named son Victor. It was this affection that led Queen Victoria to commission Winterhalter to paint the portrait.