This photograph was taken hours before Prince Frederick William of Prussia (1831–88) proposed to Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter, Princess Victoria (1840–1901) at Balmoral. The prince’s proposal was eagerly accepted by the princess but was kept secret until her confirmation in 1856. The photograph was a private commission intended as a record of the family gathering and was not released to the public as an official engagement photograph. This was the second royal commission that Wilson undertook alone, following the breakdown of his partnership with John Hay Junior in January 1855. After taking this photograph, Wilson capitalised on his royal patronage and confidently gave himself the title of ‘Photographer to the Queen’.