J. Saunders after R. Brumpton.

His Royal Highness George Augustus Frederick, Prince of Wales.

19¾ x 27½ inches

We know all too well what was to become of George, the Prince of Wales, in later life but let us pause in 1774 to consider the 12-year-old boy and what he was like as a child before profligacy and dissipation took hold. He is kitted out in full ceremonial robes and surrounded by the trappings of his royal lineage: the Prince of Wales feathers, the coronet, the armour and the view of Windsor Castle leave us in no doubt that this boy is destined to be king. We know for a fact that he excelled at his studies and mastered French, German and Italian as well as his native English. He was considered handsome, witty and popular as a child and developed a love of Shakespeare. We know he was the eldest of thirteen surviving children born to George and Charlotte and that this sibling responsibility would have weighed heavily upon his shoulders. We also know that at the time of this portrait he was under the tutelage of the dour Robert Darcy enduring 8 hours of sombre lessons a day. There was immense pressure placed upon the prince from king, courtiers and politicians alike and by the time he came of age he would take matters firmly into his own hands.