Queen Victoria often departed from her personal railway station Clarence Yard to travel to either Portsmouth or Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. Normally this would be by one of her smaller Royal yachts. This image is based upon a contemporary engraving where she is seen to be boarding a Royal Barge for probably the short trip across the harbour to Portsmouth. The gangway was normally of a closed top design, but this has been changed just for this view to reveal more of the scene. The guards in the scene are from the Royal Marines Light Infantry based in their barracks close by which would later become HMS St Vincent Training establishment.