ENGLISH SCHOOL, 19TH CENTURY, AFTER SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS, P.R.A. (1723-1792)

Maria, Countess Waldegrave was the daughter of Edward Walpole and Dorothy Clement. She married, in 1759, James, 2nd Earl Waldegrave, and was styled Countess Waldegrave. Three years after the death of the earl in 1763, Maria married Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester, third son of Frederick, Prince of Wales and brother of King George III. The marriage was performed without the knowledge of the Royal Family who would not have approved of the marriage as Maria was a widow, of non-royal rank, and of illegitimate birth. Their marriage led to King George III passing the Royal Marriage Act in 1772.
The present miniature is after the large-scale painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds, P.R.A., now in the Dunedin Public Art Gallery, New Zealand.