Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany (Leopold George Duncan Albert, 1853–1884), was the eighth child and youngest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. He is shown here as a boy, seated in three-quarter pose against a plain studio backdrop, in a full Highland dress ensemble of tartan kilt, tweed jacket, and patterned knee stockings, with a flat Balmoral bonnet worn low over the brow. His right elbow rests on a cloth-draped side table, his left hand resting on his knee, and a sporran is visible at the front of the kilt. A tufted leather chaise longue appears at the left edge of the frame. H. J. Whitlock operated at 11 New Street, Birmingham, and by the late 1860s held the designation "By Special Appointment, Photographer to the Queen," making him a natural choice for sittings involving the royal family.

Prince Leopold was photographed by H. J. Whitlock of Birmingham, and the Highland costume visible here reflects the family's deep association with Balmoral and Scottish tradition cultivated under Queen Victoria. Leopold's illness overshadowed his life; he was nonetheless considered the most brilliant of the Queen's sons.

He had haemophilia, which contributed to his death following a fall at the age of 30. He was created Duke of Albany, Earl of Clarence, and Baron Arklow.

The reverse bears the printed studio imprint of H. J. Whitlock, 11 New Street, Birmingham, with the Royal Arms and the legend "By Special Appointment, Photographer to the Queen," and is inscribed in pencil at the upper edge "Prince Leopold?" (original inscription: "Prince Leopold?").