William IV (1765-1837) when Duke of Clarence

William IV when Duke of Clarence, painted by Lawrence around 1827 and in the Royal Collection, documents the future king at a moment when his accession to the throne was not yet expected — his brother George IV, though declining in health, was still alive, and the Duke of Clarence was third in line behind the infant Princess Victoria. William had spent his youth in the Royal Navy under Admiral Digby, rising to the rank of Rear Admiral, and his straightforward nautical personality — blunt, unpretentious, occasionally embarrassing in its directness — contrasted sharply with his brother's theatrical grandeur. His long domestic arrangement with the actress Dorothea Jordan, with whom he had ten illegitimate children before she was set aside for his eventual marriage to Princess Adelaide, had given him a reputation for personal warmth that his brother entirely lacked. Lawrence's portrait captures the Duke's characteristic combination of naval bearing and friendly openness, suggesting the popular 'Sailor King' that Britain would appreciate when he came to the throne in 1830 — even if the Reform Crisis of 1831-32 would test his constitutional judgment to its limits. The Royal Collection's preservation of this portrait connects it to the institution that William himself would briefly represent as sovereign.

Lawrence presents the future king with a combination of naval dignity and approachable warmth appropriate to his personality. The painting demonstrates Lawrence's ability to adapt his grand manner to suit different temperaments and social styles.