2020 marks 25 years of Getty Images, although the archives in our care trace a far longer history. Today, gettyarchive explores royal photography. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ When photography was first introduced to the public in 1839, British monarch Queen Victoria had been on the throne for just two years. By the end of her reign in 1901, the medium had helped usher in the modern age.⁠⠀ Image has always been integral to the monarchy, with photography however, came unparalleled distribution & the suggestion of authenticity, even intimacy. The grand portraits of Victoria as Empress of India can be likened to the Armada portrait of Elizabeth I as an emblem of power, yet Victoria’s presence could hang in any parlour around the world.⁠⠀ The candid portraits released by today’s younger royals are of a tradition established in the 1800s, with Victoria & Prince Albert using the camera to emphasise their strength and values as a family. Available as collectible carte-de-visites, a 19th century phenomenon, portrait...