A watercolour drawing of the Galerie des Glaces at the chateau of Versailles, with many guests. At the centre in the pink dress is Princess Mathilde, cousin of Napoleon III, dancing a quadrille with Prince Albert. Behind, wearing a kilt, is Albert Edward, Prince of Wales and behind him in a red sash is Prince Napoleon, another cousin of Napoleon III. Queen Victoria is wearing a white dress and blue sash, with the Empress Eugénie seated behind. Standing next to them is Napoleon III and Victoria, Princess Royal. Signed below left: v.chavet

In August 1855 Queen Victoria and Prince Albert spent ten days in Paris, on the invitation of Napoleon III and his wife Eugénie. The historic state visit was intended to celebrate the military alliance between Britain and France in the Crimean War, and followed a visit by the imperial couple to Windsor in April that year. On 25 August there was a ball at the palace of Versailles, arranged by the Empress, and the first to be held there since the 1789 revolution. There were 1200 guests. Queen Victoria described the Galerie as 'full of people & one blaze of light from endless lustres, wreaths of flowers hanging down from the ceiling' and described dancing several dances (Journal, 25 August 1855).