Lawrence was the most fashionable and also the greatest portraitist of his generation. He was made Principal Painter to George III in 1792 after Reynolds’s death, and received occasional commissions; however it was only after 1814 that George IV began to employ him in earnest. This portrait was commissioned by George IV at a cost of 150 guineas and painted between 1825 and 1828 so as to include the Garter, which the Duke received in 1827. The Duke held the orb at the Coronation of George IV and was a good friend; in 1826 he was sent on an embassy to Moscow, which may explain the fur coat in this portrait. Under this he wears Windsor Uniform with a black stock, the Riband and Star of the Order of the Garter. This is unusual for Lawrence (and indeed any English portrait of this date) in being painted on panel. This portrait is recorded in the original hang at the Grand Corridor in Windsor, a neo-Gothic space created by Wyatville to house some of the highlights of George IV’s collection of paintings, busts and furniture. The original painting display combined Venetian landscapes and caprices by Canaletto and his contemporaries, all acquired from Consul Smith by George III, with portraits (and busts) of George IV’s friends and political associates.