King George V & Queen Mary at the Delhi Durbar of 1911

Unlike the previous durbars, special arrangements were made to accommodate spectators at the ceremonies of the 1911 Durbar. In fact, King George himself wished to include as many Indian spectators as possible, apart from the special invitees, in the durbar arena. Thousands gathered to catch a glimpse of the imperial couple as they attended the ceremonies. Here, King George V and Queen Mary are painted as they appear before their subjects on the terrace of the Red Fort dressed in their ‘durbar robes.’ They are accompanied by the young princes from different princely states serving as page boys.