A note on the back of the mount reads: ‘This was painted in the summer of 1901, after Edward VII had succeeded to the throne and before he was crowned. It shows the old front of Buckingham Palace which had to be painted at intervals, and of course the Queen Victoria memorial and the layout of the foreground of the Palace outside the railings were not in existence. I bought the drawing from the Leicester Galleries, London. Raymond Brooke’.

Rose Barton was the aunt of Arthur Brooke, donor of the Brooke Collection. His brother Raymond wrote to the Warden of Winchester College in June 1955:

‘An aunt of mine, Rose Barton, was a good water colour painter, member of the Old Water Colour Society, and her drawings of London were well known about the time we were at Winchester. A. & C. Black published a book, “Familiar London” which was illustrated with her drawings. About a fortnight before Arthur died, he was talking about his things, and he said he was sorry that he had not got a drawing by Rose Barton, which he considered worthy to give to the school. If you will let me, I would like to give one of her drawings that I have. It is known as “Royal Procession leaving Buckingham Palace”. There is a small crowd of onlookers waiting for the procession. It is a good specimen of Rose Barton’s work and is interesting topographically as it was painted after Queen Victoria’s death, before Edward VII was crowned, and so shows the Palace with the old stucco front and before the Queen Victoria statue was erected.’

Provenance: Leicester Galleries, London, from whom purchased by Raymond F. Brooke; given by Raymond F. Brooke to Winchester College, 1955