Octavius was the 13th child and eighth son of King George III and Queen Charlotte. Six months after the death of his brother Prince Alfred after a smallpox inoculation, Octavius was also inoculated with the virus. He became ill, and died just a few days later. Queen Charlotte wrote to a friend: 'in less than eight and forty hours was my son Octavius, in perfect health, sick and struck with death immediately'. His death devastated his parents, who had adored him. In 1820, the historian Edward Holt described the prince's character in these words, 'Though Prince Octavius had not passed his fifth year, he was considered very docile, and possessed good-nature in such an uncommon degree, that he was the delight of all about him'. George declared 'There will be no Heaven for me if Octavius is not there'.

The miniature is an unfinished sketch and, unusually for portraits of Octavius, the prince's hair has been painted brown rather than fair.

The identity of the artist is unknown.

The back of the case states that this is a portrait of Prince Alfred, Prince Octavius' younger brother, but Alfred died aged two.