Lawrence had emerged as a child prodigy and had been painting society portraits in Bath for a number of years before relocating to London.

It represented a major commission for him and the first time he painted a member of the British royal family.

It followed the Regency Crisis of 1788 when an outbreak of mental illness nearly led to her husband, King George III, being deprived of his constitutional powers, and the strain is considered to be reflected in the portrait.

Within a few years Lawrence would be Britain's pre-eminent portrait painter, known particularly for his depictions of the Regency era elite and was commissioned by Charlotte's son George to paint European leaders following the victory over Napoleon.

Regarding the debate over Charlotte's possible African ancestry, it has been cited as a work that portrays no suggestion of this in contrast to other depictions such as Allan Ramsay's 1761 coronation portrait.