Princess Mary, Daughter of Charles I

This portrait was probably a gift to the bridegroom of Princess Mary of England on the occasion of their marriage in 1641. Van Dyck represents the ten-year-old princess with a maturity and poise beyond her years. She is not dressed as a child, but as a woman worthy of sharing the sovereignty of Holland with William II of Orange. Van Dyck was court painter to Charles I and highly acclaimed for his regal yet sensitive portrayals of the royal family.