Centuries ago, kings, queens, and other nobility loved getting their portraits done. Apart from demonstrating their power and capturing a likeness, portraits were a way for royalty to shape how they were seen by the public. From the sixteenth century onwards, state portraits have been used by countless kings and queens. Gradually, photography arrived, and royals soon took a liking to it. Before long, the walls of their homes were adorned with their photos and portraits.
In this gallery, you get to see a few vintage photos of 19th-century noblewomen against their beautiful portraits. Compare and check them out now!
Related: These Old Photos Reveal a Good Deal About the 19th Century
1. Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen (1792-1849): Wife of King Wilhelm IV of the United Kingdom
2. Ada Lovelace (1815-1852): English mathematician and writer; considered the first computer programmer
3. Rosalía de Castro (1837-1885): Galician poet and novelist
4. María de las Mercedes de Orleans (1860-1878): Queen of Spain as the first wife of King Alfonso XII
5. Eugénie de Montijo (1826-1920): Wife of Napoleon III and Empress Consort of France
6. Elisabeth of Bavaria, “Sissi” (1837-1898): Bavarian princess and wife of King Franz Joseph I of Austria; she was world-famous in her time as a fashion icon and trendsetter
7. Wilhelmina of the Netherlands (1860-1962): Queen of the Netherlands. She reigned for 58 years, longer than any other Dutch monarch
8. Maria Pia of Savoy (1847-1911): Princess of Sardinia and Italy and Queen of Portugal
9. Margherita Teresa of Savoy (1851-1926): Queen consort and wife of Humbert I of Italy
10. Elisabeth of Wied (1843-1916): the wife of Romania's first king, Carol I
11. Elena of Waldeck and Pyrmont (1861-1922): Princess consort and wife of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany
12. Josephine Frederica of Baden (1813-1900): the mother of the first king of Romania, Carol I
13. Anna de Noailles (1876-1933): Countess Mathieu de Noailles and French poetess
14. Genara Maria de Braganza (1822-1901): Imperial princess of Brazil who became queen of Spain as the second wife of Ferdinand VII
15. Francisca de Braganza (1824-1898): Princess of Orleans, Princess of Brazil, and Infanta of Portugal
