A watercolour showing a Turkish soldier. He is shown half-length, standing and facing left with his face turned to look back over one shoulder. He is dressed in a blue uniform with a red tasselled hat and is holding a saber up in front of him. Further soldiers are shown marching through a dust cloud behind.
Inscribed lower left: For dear Grandmama from her affectionate grandson Albert Edward. Xtmas 24th December. 1854.

From an early age Queen Victoria’s eldest son and heir, Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII), received art lessons from a number of well-known artists. In 1852 he began to learn watercolour painting with Edward Corbould. Most of his paintings and drawings were made specifically for presentation to members of his family as birthday or Christmas presents. This watercolour was given to his maternal grandmother, the Duchess of Kent (1786–1861), for Christmas in 1854. The subject of this watercolour was a very topical one at the time of the Crimean War.

This drawing is housed in an album compiled by Queen Victoria (or probably Queen Victoria's mother, Victoria Duchess of Kent). For other items in this volume see Queen Victoria Album 4.