King Edward VIII (1894-1972) when Prince of Wales

The future Edward VIII was nineteen when Lavery included him in the 1913 royal commission, painted as Prince of Wales rather than heir apparent in his own right. This early portrait predates by two decades both his investiture as Prince of Wales (formally celebrated in 1911) coming to public prominence and, of course, the abdication crisis of 1936. In 1913 Edward was still a young military cadet, charming and popular with the public in a way his father was not, and Lavery's handling reflects this youth. The portrait series of which this forms a part was designed to introduce the family as a modern royal image, and Edward's inclusion as a young figure in informal relationship to his parents and siblings was integral to that project. The canvas is in the Royal Collection.

Lavery employed a lighter, less ceremonial touch for the young prince than for his parents, using a fresher palette and slightly looser handling to suggest youth and informality. The uniform is present but does not dominate; background is kept simple to allow the figure's bearing and expression to carry the work.