Portrait of Maharajah Gaj Singh of Bikaner (1746-1787), presented by the Maharajah of Bikaner to King George V in 1913.

When Queen Mary visited Bikaner in 1905 as Princess of Wales, she recorded in her journal seeing ‘wonderful writings and paintings’ in the Bikaner Palace (RA QM/PRIV/QMD: 27 November 1905). Ganga Singh, the Maharajah of Bikaner (1880-1943), was a regular guest of King George V and Queen Mary and on June 1913, following a luncheon at Buckingham Palace during which he was seated at the Queen’s right hand, the Maharajah presented King George V with two paintings from the Bikaner royal collection, this and RCIN 452416.