This painting is a copy of Winterhalter’s original portrait, painted in Paris in 1864. Graefle also copied its companion painting of the Emperor Maximilian, Princess Charlotte’s husband (RCIN 402484). Princess Charlotte (1840-1927) was the only daughter of Leopold I, King of the Belgians. She was lively and intelligent as a child and much loved by her English relations. She married the in 1857 and her husband was created Emperor of Mexico in 1864. He was executed there in 1867. Queen Victoria wrote in 1863: ‘Charlotte dear…is very venturesome and would go with Max to the end of the world’. The Princess’ health deteriorated after her husband’s death and she lived in seclusion in Belgium until she died in 1927.