Annie Dixon was born in Lincolnshire in 1817 and was a painter of miniature portraits. Her work was commissioned numerous times by Queen Victoria from 1859, and she completed the set of miniatures of the royal children begun by William Ross. Dixon portrayed her young sitters – including the infant Princess Beatrice here – in charming fashion, which no doubt contributed to her continuing success at a time when the new, competitive and cheaper art of portrait photography was becoming more popular.

This second portrait, of Alexandra, Princess of Wales (shown here), was commissioned by the sitter as a birthday present for her husband, later King Edward VII, in the first year of their marriage. Dixon was said to have stayed at Sandringham for sittings and was sent away at the weekends so that the Prince of Wales would not see her at church and ruin the surprise. Alexandra is depicted wearing the pearl and diamond cluster earrings gifted to her by her husband for their wedding.