The son of two well-known Viennese actors, Koberwein studied painting in Paris with Paul Delaroche (1797-1856); he worked in various European capitals before setting in London in 1859. He experimented with processes for colouring photographs and his painted portraiture was greatly influenced by photography. Queen Victoria described Koberwein as ‘such a useful good artist & pleasant person’. The Crown Princess, Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter, and her family had visited the Queen during November 1865. Prince Sigismund (1864-6) is sitting on the chair, Princess Charlotte (1860-1919) is leaning on the arm of the chair, Prince Henry (1862-1929) is in the kilt of dress Royal Stewart tartan, sitting on a bearskin rug, and Prince William (the future Kaiser Wilhem II, 1859-1941) is standing on the right, wearing the kilt and plaid of Royal Stewart tartan. The figures of the two eldest children are almost exact copies of photographs taken at Windsor during their stay, and the portraits of the younger children are also probably taken from photographs. The Crown Princess was sent a photograph of the finished painting and was not happy with the result. She wrote: ‘I fear the picture must be very bad, poor Ditta [Charlotte] is not flattered & her legs and arms are all out of drawing – I am really sorry – as it promised to be nice’. Signed and dated: G. Koberwein 1865. Inscribed on the back with the names of the sitters and as painted in November 1865.