The identities of this sitter and of the artist have been debated in the past but the miniature is now thought to be a portrait of Princess Sophia Matilda by Philip Jean.

Princess Sophia Matilda (1773-1844) was the niece of George III, daughter of his brother Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Maria, Countess Dowager of Waldegrave. Sophia never married nor had any children. She lived at New Lodge in Winkfield, near Windsor in Berkshire, died on 29 November 1844 and is buried in St George's Chapel, Windsor.

Philip Jean (1755-1802) was born in St Ouen, Jersey. He served in the navy under Admiral Lord Rodney and later became a professional miniature painter. He exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1787 to 1802, including miniatures of the Duke of Clarence (1790), the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester (1790 and 1792), Princess Sophia Matilda of Gloucester (1791 and 1795) and Prince William of Gloucester (1792 and 1802). He also painted full-length portraits of George III and Queen Charlotte. In 1788, one Royal Academy critic described him as an 'ingenious foreigner'.