George II (1683-1760) when Prince of Wales

This 1716 Royal Collection portrait of George II when Prince of Wales is one of the official images that disseminated the future king's appearance to an English public that needed to become familiar with the Hanoverian dynasty. The Royal Collection's systematic accumulation of portraits of successive monarchs and their families served the institutional function of maintaining a continuous visual record of the dynasty — each new king's image added to a sequence stretching back through the sixteenth century. Kneller's 1716 portrait of the Prince of Wales was one step in this dynastic portrait sequence, establishing the heir apparent's image in the years between his father's accession and his own eventual reign.

The formal royal portrait follows established conventions for depicting princes of the blood, with ceremonial costume and authoritative pose rendered in Kneller's characteristic broad, efficient studio manner.