Princess Frederica Charlotte (1767-1830) was the only daughter of Crown Prince Frederick William of Prussia (1744-97), later King Frederick William II, and his first wife Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1746-1840). Her parents divorced in 1769 and Frederica was brought up by her paternal grandmother, Princess Luise Amalie, and her stepmother, Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt. In 1791, Frederica married Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany, the second son of George III. She received an enthusiastic welcome in London, but the marriage was not a happy one and the couple soon separated. Frederica retired to Oatlands Park, Weybridge, where she lived until her death in 1830.

The miniature is based on a pastel drawing previously attributed to Johann Heinrich Schröder in the Royal Collection (RCIN 401261). Schröder made pastel drawings of many of the members of the Prussian and Mecklenburg royal families and may have painted miniature copies himself, but the identity of the artist who painted this miniature is unknown.