The painting, in pen, grey ink and watercolour, records the planting of an oak tree by Queen Victoria in the South Gardens during a three day visit to Burghley in 1844.
She is shown being handed a child’s wooden spade, as the one she was initially offered proved too heavy and lies discarded to one side.
The Prince Consort later planted a lime tree on the opposite side of the garden.
Henry Ziegler (1793-1874), a British landscape artist and portrait painter, who was also drawing master to members of the Royal Family, was commissioned to record the major events of the 1844 visit.
