A pencil drawing sketch on crested note-paper showing Queen Victoria's six eldest children in a tableau representing Milton's Allegro & Penseroso. Loose figures of children are shown in a group, with one seated high on a block and two sitting at the edge of the stage with their legs dangling down. The other three children are shown in the middle. The names of four of the children are inscribed below the mounted sheet. Inscribed below: The above sketch of a tableau at Osborne 26th Augst 1852. was made by Her Majesty. EH Corbould. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert often arranged tableaus and plays as surprises for each other to celebrate holidays and anniversaries. On 26 August 1852, Queen Victoria arranged for a tableau of Milton's Allegro and Penseroso to be performed by their children as a surprise for her husband's 33rd birthday. In her journal entry of that day, Queen Victoria describes how "A little stage & green frame, had been admirably arranged at the end of the Council Room, which was entirely darkened. The Curtain was drawn aside, showing the 6 Children, grouped to represent Milton's Allegro & Penseroso, the latter personified by Vicky, as a nun, quite in black.) Mr Corbould had arranged the whole thing with orange trees, corn, fruit, &c — All had bare feet, but Vicky, Bertie with his pipe, Affie, as plenty with a wreath of grapes & the 2 little girls in yellow & blue gauze, — looked charming. Alice, too, leaning on Vicky with a wreath of corn flowers, looked extremely pretty. It was a great surprise to Albert who was delighted, & could not imagine how it had been so well contrived".