Miniature of Prince Albert; bust-length; facing slightly to the right; wearing armour; grey eyes, pink complexion, brown hair, beard and moustaches, dark brown/grey background. Set into a gold bracelet of five gold knots and four enamel York and Lancaster roses, each surrounded by a blue garter.

This is a copy of Thorburn's likeness of Prince Albert in armour, which he had given the Queen on her birthday in May 1844: 'My beloved Albert is painted in armour, which I so much wished … I cannot say how beautiful it is, nor how exactly [it] portrays the dear original' (Journal, 24 May 1844).

Prince Albert took a great interest in designing jewellery for the Queen, and this intricate bracelet illustrates his skill at design incorporating sentiment.

Queen Victoria recorded (Journal, 24 December 1844) that, '[Albert] took me to his room, where he gave me a most lovely bracelet, with his dear picture, also after Thorburn beautifully enamelled, set with a replica in small of the Collar of the Order of the Garter, in enamel work. It is his own exquisite taste & one of the loveliest things I ever saw. How I shall value it, & what extreme pleasure it gives. I put it on at once, & it was much admired.'

The Queen can be seen wearing the bracelet in the watercolour by Carl Haag, 'Evening at Balmoral'.

Text adapted from Victoria & Albert: Art & Love, London, 2010