The officially royal photographer

A unique collection of royal photographs - taken by the Queen's great-grandmother - is going on display for the first time.

The portfolio of Queen Alexandra's family pictures will be shown to the public to coincide with the publication of a new book on her work.

The collection of Queen Alexandra, a keen artist who felt photography was a natural progression, has been locked away in the archives for nearly a century.

Her photos include Alexandra's mother-in-law, Queen Victoria, dressed in widow's mourning and strolling at Abergeldie Castle with granddaughter Princess Louise.

One of the most poignant sets shows Czar Nicholas II and the rest of the Russian Imperial family, all killed by the Bolsheviks in the Russian revolution.

There are also informal family photos of the future King Edward VII, Alexandra's husband, arm-in-arm with his brother Arthur, Duke of Connaught, in 1890.

The magazine Amateur Photographer said at the time that Queen Alexandra did more to "popularise and encourage universal acceptance of the hand camera" than anyone else.

She took tuition in photography while at Sandringham, owned several cameras, exhibited her work publicly and even published a book of her pictures for charity in 1908.

The exhibition of her work opens at Windsor Castle on Saturday.

The new book, Developing the Picture: Queen Alexandra and the Art Of Photography, is by Frances Dimond, who said: "Photography brings pleasure to many people. For Queen Alexandra, part of its importance may have been that she should use it to create an impression of harmony and fulfilment."