William Charles Bell trained as an enamel painter in Geneva before securing his first royal commission in March 1850. From then onwards, he was employed constantly by Queen Victoria for almost 50 years, painting enamel miniatures, often copied after Franz Xaver Winterhalter's oil portraits, for her own collection and for distribution as gifts. His enamels were usually smaller than those by Henry Pierce Bone, William Essex or John Simpson, whose services she had previously employed, and many were set into items of jewellery, particularly Maid of Honour brooches. Queen Victoria's last payment to Bell, in July 1899, was for '6 Miniatures on Gold for Maid of Honour brooches'. Owing to his advanced years, the Queen then gave him no further work but awarded him an annual pension of £20.

This enamel is a copy after Sir William Ross's miniature of 1847 (420338), part of his series of the royal children. It is likely that Bell painted this enamel and his enamel of Princess Louise (421887) early in 1850 soon after his copies of two other miniatures (of Prince Albert Edward and Prince Alfred) from Ross's series. The payments he received for unidentified 'Enamels' on four occasions in 1850 may therefore have included this enamel.

Signed and inscribed on the counter-enamel in black paint: H.R.H. / Princess Alice. / Bn April 25th. 1843 / by W. C. Bell. / after Sir Willm Ross / June 1847