When living in Florence some years ago, my parents had a family portrait painted by a young Irish artist, Mr Henry Thaddeus Jones. The painting has been shown at the Royal Academy and has been very highly praised. In Florence he was commissioned by several Russian royals, and in Rome he received two papal commissions, one of them being to paint Pope Leo XIII’s portrait. I was invited, together with my mama, to afternoon tea at Windsor earlier this month and, while there, Aunt Queen told us of a portrait that a German artist had painted of you, standing on the terrace at Osborne House wearing the uniform of a British Admiral of the Fleet. It sounds magnificent, but it occurred to me that you might also like to have your portrait painted by Thaddeus Jones (Mr Jones never refers to himself by his first Christian name), only this time with a Marble Palace background and wearing one of your magnificent Prussian uniforms?

May had then gone on with family news:

Looloo is in love with Lord Fife, and wishes to marry him. He is nearly twenty years older than her and a friend of Uncle Bertie’s. Toria says she can’t believe Granny Queen will give permission for Looloo to marry a non-royal, but knowing Granny Queen’s love of Scotland, and as Fife is a Scot and so wealthy he owns half the Highlands, I think Looloo may well be in with a chance. (Georgie has wickedly suggested that Granny Queen ask one of her Highland ghillies to act as Fife’s best man!)

And there was more: mention of how, since their marriage and a visit to Osborne House, Irène and Heinrich had become so popular with the English branch of their family that they had been nicknamed ‘The Amiables’. Of how Eddy had been made a Knight Justice of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, and how Georgie was serving in the Mediterranean fleet. That he was seeing a lot of Aunt Marie, Ducky and Missy for, as Uncle Affie was commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean fleet, his family had taken up temporary residence in Malta, so Georgie had begun staying with them whenever he had shore leave.

Alicky, she had added as a postscript, had recently left for a long stay with Ella and Sergei in St Petersburg; she had no up-to-date news with regard to Ella, although she was sure Alicky would soon be sending her some.

Willy had very much liked the idea of having his portrait painted by Mr Jones, and the arrangement that he should do so had swiftly been put into place, which was why, in a few minutes’ time and suitably escorted by a clutch of his favourite aides-de-camp, he was about to make his way to the Audience Room, where he would meet the painter.