Princess Alexandra, 1872
Alexandra of Denmark (1844-1925) married the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII (1841-1910)) in 1862 and held the title of Princess of Wales until her husband ascended the throne on the death of his mother Queen Victoria in 1901. She was an enormously popular figure; her style of dress and bearing were copied by fashion-conscious women. Edward VII died in 1910 and was succeeded by their son George V.
Charles Adrien Prosper Caïez d’Épinay was a French sculptor and caricaturist (under the name Nemo). Many of his clients were from the nobility and royalty. He was sometimes referred to as the sculpteur de souveraines (sculptor of sovereigns). He studied under sculptor Jean-Pierre Dantan in Paris and Luigi Amici in Rome. D’Epinay exhibited at the Royal Academy, London, between 1865 and 1881, while based in Rome. He is best-known for busts of the Empress Eugenie; actress Sarah Bernhardt and artist Henri Regnault, as well as a statue of his father (in Mauritius), Venus with Golden Girdle (1874) and some eight busts of Queen Alexandra. He was awarded the Royal Victoria Order in honour of his eight busts of Alexandra.
