British painting is one of the Royal Collection's greatest strengths. Outstanding works by Hogarth, Gainsborough, Reynolds and Lawrence have been acquired partly as the result of enlightened patronage and partly through wise purchasing. The paintings are dispersed throughout the royal residences, but to give a hint of the richness of the Royal Collection's holdings, The Quest for Albion brings together forty-six works - many instantly recognisable, others less familiar - and places them firmly in the context of Britain's national heritage. The part played by successive monarchs - in particular George III, George IV and later Queen Victoria with the encouragement of Prince Albert - in the formation of a national school is further described in the highly topical introductory essay by Christopher Lloyd, Surveyor of The Queen's Pictures.