The artist and illustrator George Percy Jacomb-Hood trained at the Slade School of Art and in Paris before becoming artist-correspondent of the Graphic. It was in this role that he accompanied several royal visits to India at the start of the century. In October 1911 he travelled as part of the Royal suite to India on HMS Medina with King George V and Queen Mary; the high-point of the tour was the Delhi Durbar, here the new King and Queen were presented to an assembled audience of Indian dignitaries and princes as the Emperor and Empress of India (RCIN 452381). The Investiture of the Star of India took place two days later, on the 14 December.

The artist describes the event in his autobiography:

'On the Thursday night was the great function of the "Investiture" held in a great tent outside the King's House…The lines of guests and chiefs, all in full dress rising tier behind tier, on each side of the carpet, up which came singly, one after the other, those to be invested with the Star of India. On a raised platform at the end, with a background of uniforms, imperial cadets and guards, the fans and yak-tail whisks of ceremony, held by scarlet-and-gold chuprassis, sat enthroned the King and Queen in robes of the Star of India, and supported by Lord Hardinge [the Viceroy], Lady Hardinge, Lord Crewe and the Duke of Teck, and her Majesty's ladies on the other side. His Majesty began with a somewhat touching ceremony of investing the Queen herself.' (With Brush and Pencil, 1925, p 254).

This subject occupied Jacomb-Hood on his return to England in April 1913, as it was to be a commission for HH Sir Gangha Singh, Maharajah of Bikaner, who is seen here being invested. On completion the painting was taken to Windsor for their Majesties to see. 'I was glad that they approved of it,' commented Jacomb-Hood, 'so far as for the Queen to commission a replica of it - a difficult task to copy one's own picture…' (With Brush and Pencil, 1925, p 304).  

The painting was given as a birthday present to Queen Mary by the Prince of Wales.

Numerous drawings and sketches of the tour are in the Royal Collection; notably RCIN 931112, probably a study for this painting.