Prince Albert (1819-61) was fascinated by the medium of photography. He commissioned photographers, collected prints and arranged photograph albums. In 1848, Prince Albert commissioned William Edward Kilburn (1818-91) to take this daguerreotype. Following processing, Kilburn carefully coloured the glass plate with coloured pigments. He added decoration in the form of a blue sky with clouds. The portrait resembles a painted miniature, a medium that fell from popularity following the invention of photography.