In 1936, the Order of St John commissioned Edward Caruana Dingli to paint a full-length portrait of Edward VIII to hang in Chapter Hall.  This preparatory sketch gives an idea of how the portrait may have looked. Had he not abdicated, as King, Edward VIII would have been Sovereign Head of the Order of St John, a link that began when Queen Victoria granted the Order a Royal Charter in 1888. Following the abdication of Edward VIII in December 1936, the commission was never completed.  Formal representations of the monarch are an important aspect of a new reign, and this sketch demonstrates the thought and effort that goes into preparing them.

Edward VIII was born in 1894, the eldest son on the Duke of York, the future King George V. As Prince of Wales, he could not serve on the front line during the First World War but joined the Grenadier Guards. He gained popularity with British subjects through his extensive tours of the Empire and Britain. Famously, he abdicated the throne because he was forbidden from marrying Wallis Simpson, a divorced woman, which went against the teachings of the Church of England that he would lead as Monarch. Following his abdication, Edward married Wallis, became the Duke of Windsor and moved to the continent. He briefly served as Governor of the Bahamas during the Second World War and is known to have held a meeting with Adolf Hitler. He later returned to the continent, dying in Paris on 1972.

Dingli was a Maltese painter with strong links to the Order of St John. Best known for his evocative portraiture, Dingli was a versatile artist with broad talents and interests.  During his career, he would apply himself ably to working in oil and in watercolour, painting not just portraits but also landscapes and scenes of everyday life in Malta. In addition to painting he also successfully turned his hand to the design of commemorative medals, advertising materials, postage stamps and more. He had previously prepared a Bozzetto for the Order depicting King George V. The completed painting still hangs in our Chapter Hall.