Prince William of Prussia (1797-1888)

Prince William was the brother of King Frederick William IV of Prussia. When Frederick William suffered a stroke in 1857, William ruled as Regent until his brother's death in 1861. The Prussian royal family had a personal as well as political interest in friendship with the British royal family. Prince William was a friend of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and his son, Frederick William, married their daughter, Victoria, the Princess Royal (both are shown in the painting).

Prussia mounted one of the largest foreign exhibits in the Crystal Palace, concentrating on iron and steel manufacture.