THEY provide a fascinating glimpse into the private world of one of the greatest monarchs in British history.

Depicting royal life during the 1800s, the collection of photos was commissioned by Queen Victoria and has been unearthed after spending decades gathering dust in a cupboard.

The 140-year-old images were taken by Scottish-born Alexander Lamont Henderson after he was granted a Royal Warrant giving him unprecedented access to the palace.

Queen Victoria was said to have admired the experimental photographer’s work and, in 1884, asked him to take pictures which presented life in the royal household at a time of unprecedented change – and as Britain was building the largest empire the world had ever seen.

The atmospheric collection includes 69 oval enamel miniature portraits and numerous glass slides showing the monarch and her family.

One captures Queen Victoria’s drawing room in the Grand Hotel in Grasse, France, while others show her husband Prince Albert and the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII.

The rare archive was inherited by the royal photographer’s family following his death in 1907 and has been passed down through the generations ever since.

His great-great grandson, Roderick Williams, 63, is now selling the photos which have been tucked away in a cupboard for several decades.

The collection could fetch up to £25,000 when it goes under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers, in Etwall, Derbyshire, on October 13.

Mr Williams, who is an electrical engineer from Coltishall, Norfolk, said: “My great-great grandfather worked as a royal photographer for Queen Victoria up to her death in 1901.

“We think he caught her attention thanks to his experimental colour work with glass plate lantern slides and enamels.

“She commissioned several coloured enamel pictures. These included royal portraits and views of the Royal Mausoleum at Frogmore.

“It’s thought some tiny miniatures were donated for display in Queen Mary’s dolls house at Windsor.

“As well as capturing everyday royal life, he was also responsible for processing royal portraits on to enamel for use in jewellery.

“As well as taking photos of Queen Victoria, he worked with glass plate negatives taken by other photographers but, sadly, much of his work has been lost or destroyed.

“That’s one of the reasons I have reluctantly decided to sell.

“Perhaps this archive deserves to be in a museum or royal collection to allow his work to be preserved and enjoyed by future generations.”

The collection also includes images of Alexandra of Denmark, Prince Leopold, Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia, Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse, and various non-royal portraits.

Pictures of Henderson, who was a member of the Royal Photographic Society, his family and the French Riviera are also included. Edinburgh-born Henderson created a stir at the time due to his experimental photography, enamel and colour work.

His aim was to produce a photographic equivalent to the handpainted miniatures commonly used in jewellery.

His skills led to him being awarded medals for his work, which is still winning plaudits today.

In 2019, ground-breaking images he took in Greece in 1904 were exhibited in Athens.

Instead of the usual shots of ancient monuments, he recorded everyday life in the Mediterranean country.

After his death, some of his photographic work was donated to the London Guildhall Museum but, unfortunately, was destroyed during the Second World War. Welcoming the uncovering of Henderson’s collection, Jim Spencer, who is associate director of Hansons Auctioneers, said: “This is a fascinating collection of unique images that sweep us back around 140 years.

“They provide an insight into Queen Victoria’s life, the Victorian era and also capture evocative scenes in France.

“His work was ground-breaking in many ways.

“It’s a great shame much of it was destroyed during the Blitz but this personal collection has survived intact thank to his family.”

Mr Spencer added: “Some of Henderson’s enamels can be found in the Royal Collection Trust and London’s V&A museum, and some of his slides were rescued by Mr F C Guilmant, of Southampton, and used in an exhibition at Brighton Polytechnic in 1987.

“Nevertheless, Henderson’s work is scarce, hence the importance of this archive.”