The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-22 00:00:00

PHOTOGRAPHIC DISLOYALTY.

Passing along any of our fashionable West-end
streets one is surprised to find how intimate our
photographers seem to be with royalty. There is
scarcely an attitude in which the Prince and
Princess of Wales can stand or sit, that these gen-
tlemen have not caught and " registered" for their
own pecuniary profit. In the popular sense at least,
" A divinity doth 'hedge a king," which the Court
portrait-painters take care not to violate. A royal
personage, of old, was either represented clad in
steel, " with truncheon based on hip," or clothed in
the imperial purple, with crown and sceptre, or
other insignia of his rank. Let us look into the
first booksellers' windows at the cartes de visite, and
see the modern manner of treating royalty. There
is the " true Prince" in what the police ignobly
term a " billycock hat" and greatcoat, smoking a
cigar to its very flabby last inch. Really, this is a
free and easy style, which proves on what intimate
terms the photographer must have been with his
Royal Highness in order to have taken him in
such an unguarded moment. Then we have his
Royal Highness in a shooting-jacket, his Royal
Highness at a writing-desk, a back view of his
Royal Highness, a side view of his Royal High-
ness, and a view of the same illustrious person seated
on the ground. Really the heir apparent must have
been about and " posed," his arms arranged and his
legs composed so as to form graceful lines, in a man-
ner which proves that Royalty is nothing better
than a lay figure in the hand of the photographer.
We perceive that our Royal sailor has fallen into the
same manipulating hands. He has no sooner reco-
vered from his fever than he is put through hia
paces to suit the purpose of the photographer. He
smiles grimly at us with the bob of his cocked hat
to the left of his nose—he smiles pleasantly with
the bob to the right of his nose—he grasps his
sword fiercely—he leans upon it elegantly—he comes
before us playing with his hat—he stands at ease
crowned with the same brightly brushed chimney

pot. In short, the poor young prince, in his present
weak state,must have been tired outby the wretched
posture-master, who saw in every fresh attitude of
the Royal limbs the making of a good round sum.
As for the . poor Princess of Wales, when, we ask,
will she be at rest I' Why not publicly announce
that the illustrious lady
will appear in a series of
cartes de visite, wearing the different articles of her
trousseau ? But we have still more tender ground
to touch—the unwarrantable liberties taken with
the affianced pair. Did the Prince clasp the fair
Dane's hand of his own accord, or was this position
only a delicate arrangement of the Belgian photo-
grapher, for we are glad to say no Englishman has
yet dared so to offend good taste ? Or that jewelled
white hand resting on the shoulder of her fiance 7
Surely princesses,' of the most gushingyet nature,nh do
public; and
gnroatpdhoer,suocnhe
wthoiunigdsthinink,upon
pi a
soßut
co h-
would ventwureu
whether it be joy or
an arrant impertinence of his own ac
grief affecting the Royalcor accord. But
in some. way the lens of the camera appears family,t
into it in the most offensive manner. We protest,
on on the public behalf, against the unwarrantable'
manner in which those sacred feelings are turned to
commercial account.

OFFICIAL APPOINTMENTS.—Mr. Michael West-
ropp, legal remembrancer at Bombay, has been appointed
a puisne judge of the High Court of that presidency; Mr.
Farquhar, second secretary at Buenos Ayres, has been ap-
pointed second secretary at Athens ; Mr. Drummond,
second secretary at Athens, has been appointed second sec-
retary at Buenos Ayres.