Portrait of Prince William and His Elder Sister, Princess Sophia
by WEST, Benjamin, Oil on canvas, 153 x 214 cm
This painting is one of a group of portraits of members of the Royal Family painted by West between 1777 and 1784. It portrays Prince William (1776-1834), later 2nd Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, and his elder Sister, Princess Sophia (1773-1844) of Gloucester. They were the eldest children of William Duke of Gloucester, brother of King George III.
The painting was commissioned by West’s royal patron George III as a token of his reconciliation with his brother and their family.