Charles Prager King was born in London on 2 Jan 1788, the only son of Edward King, of Pangbourne, Berkshire. In 1805 he was given a cadetship in India and arrived there on 11 July 1806. Two days later he was appointed Cornet in the 4th Bengal Native Cavalry. He was nominated to serve in the Java campaign in 1812 but requested to stay with his own corps. He was replaced on that expedition by Cornet George Arthur Kempland. He reached the rank of major on 10 July 1825 and fought with the 4th BLC at Bhurtpore in 1826. He was appointed CO with the rank of lieutenant-colonel on 27 April 1833. He was invalided home in 1839 and retired in 1841. At the age of 31 he married Jane Margaretta Brownwell on 12 June 1819 and went on furlough, rejoining the regiment in June 1822. Lieutenant-Colonel King died in London on 19 March 1846.
The portrait is a miniature showing him and his charger when he was CO of the 4th BLC. He is in dress uniform, French grey with orange facings, and the badge of the regiment on his shako that was introduced c1835. This version of the portrait shows him with a moustache; another clean-shaven version has a hand-written inscription stating: ‘Colonel C King 4th Bengal Light Cavalry (Lancers) Presented to Mrs King by the officers of that Regiment on Colonel King’s retirement circ. 1838’.
