William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne (1799-1848)

Lord Melbourne was Prime Minister when the young Queen Victoria ascended the throne in 1837, and their close relationship—part mentor, part father figure—defined the early Victorian period. Hayter’s portrait in the Royal Collection captures Melbourne in 1837, the year he became Victoria’s chief political adviser. The Whig aristocrat’s charm and worldliness guided the inexperienced queen through her first years on the throne. George Hayter was the preeminent British history and portrait painter of the early Victorian era, appointed Principal Painter in Ordinary to Queen Victoria in 1841.

Melbourne’s languid, aristocratic elegance is conveyed through the relaxed pose and warm coloring. Hayter renders the Prime Minister’s handsome, slightly world-weary features with evident admiration.