A watercolour showing Queen Victoria investing Louis-Philippe, King of the French, with the Order of the Garter in the Garter Throne Room at Windsor Castle. Victoria, Prince Albert and Louis Philippe are at the far end of the long table, surrounded by Knights of the Garter in long robes, some sitting, others standing. Signed and dated bottom left: Louis Haghe 1845.

In October 1844, Louis-Philippe, King of the French, stayed at Windsor as the guest of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, a reciprocal visit following the British royal couple's sojurn at the Château d'Eu (Louis-Philippe's residence in Normandy) the previous year (see, for example, RCIN 919998). This was the first time a reigning French King had visited England since the fourteenth century. A number of events took place during Louis-Philippe's stay, including a State Banquet (RCIN 919790) and the King's investiture on 11 October. Victoria and Albert also went on a number of excursions with their guest (RCIN 920031), who lived in England for some years during his exile at the beginning of the nineteenth century.

Queen Victoria described this event in detail in her journal, commenting that after the ceremony the King repeatedly thanked her and Albert for the honour he had been accorded. Two days after the event, Victoria wrote that Haghe had made "a beautiful sketch in watercolours of the Investiture." She possibly commissioned Haghe to make a copy of it for Louis-Philippe. Joseph Nash also made a number of watercolours for the royal patrons of scenes from Louis-Philippe's visit - see RCINs 920031, 919790, 919791 and 919792. This watercolour and three of Nash's were mounted by Victoria and Albert in View Album II. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert compiled nine View Albums during their marriage. These albums contained watercolours and drawings documenting their life together and were arranged in chronological order. The albums were dismantled in the early twentieth century and rebound in new volumes both in a different arrangement and with additional items, but a written record of their original contents and arrangement still exists.