Princess Alice, Queen Victoria’s third child, was born on 25 April 1843. A few days before her birth Prince Albert acquired the Saxon cradle, made towards the end of the seventeenth century, in which she is sleeping in this portrait. Lady Lyttelton noted the Queen’s delight: ‘The chief present is a beautiful sketch by Landseer of the Princess Tiny, in a cradle…which belonged to the old Saxon house…The child lies…watched over by Dandie, the black terrier, with an expression of fondness and watchfulness such as only Landseer can give. It was prepared in secret by Prince Albert…’ Inscribed on the back with the names of the artist and sitter (nine days old), with the name of the dog (Dandie Dinmont - a Skye terrier) and the date, 1843