Painting of the Day: Queen Victoria’s Wedding Portrait, 1838

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert mark the anniversary
of their February 10, 1840 wedding with this recreation
of the day.  Victoria bemoaned the fact that
photographic technology had not advanced to the point
that she could have been photographed on her
actual wedding day, and so, later, these pictures
were staged.
The Royal Collection

On February 10, 1840, Queen Victoria married her much-beloved cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Victoria was as overwhelmed by her love for Albert as he was for his love for her. They delighted in presenting one another with lavish gifts and tokens of their affection.


For their seventh wedding anniversary in 1847, the Queen commissioned Franz Xaver Winterhalter to create a portrait of Her Majesty in her wedding dress. The dress, which remains perfectly intact today, of ivory silk was adorned with orange blossoms. Among the jewels she wore on her wedding day was a magnificent sapphire and diamond brooch which had been a gift from Albert a day earlier.

Victoria sat for Winterhalter, carefully recreating the look of her wedding attire. She is painted as a young bride. Her hopeful look and expectant eyes show that seven years after her marriage, she was as much in love with Albert as she was the day of their wedding.

Queen Victoria in her Wedding Dress
Franz Xaver Winterhalter, 1847
Commissioned by Queen Victoria
(notice the sapphire brooch)
The Royal Collection