A poignant glimpse into the early life of the future Queen Victoria, Denning, who moved within royal circles, painted this melancholy portrait after likely encountering the young princess in Kensington Gardens. It shows her dressed in black mourning clothes, with a heavy brown fur stole and a large feathered hat, reflecting the death of her father three years earlier. One of her gloves has been removed, and a fallen rose at her feet subtly hints at her grief and solitary childhood, while her upright stance in a landscape and steady gaze suggest quiet strength and confidence. Completed during the late Regency period, the work follows the academic conventions of the time.