Moroccan Ambassadors

Copyright University of Birmingham 

 copyright English Heritage

The fine portraits of the Moroccan ambassadors 
[1] to Elizabeth I : Abd el-Ouahad ben Messaoud, 1600 by unknown artist, now Shakespeare Centre with legend '1600 / Abdul Guahid / Envoy from the Barbary Kingdoms to England / age 42' 
 and [2] to Charles II : Ben Hadou, 1684, by Godfrey Kneller and Jan Wyck (now Chiswick House)  
have been joined by two splendid images of  Georgian envoys

copyright Ben Elwes

copyright Ben Elwes 

 [3] to George I and George II:   Admiral Hajj Abdelkader Perez, with a naval engagement by Michael Dahl;

and [4] to George I :  Mohammed Ben Ali Abgali by Enoch Seeman.

Both painted during their tours of duty in Britain, and both retained by the courtier who was appointed their host/minder/liaison officer.  
It was obviously a tradition  They make one wonder what the sitters and their  entourages thought of the likenesses in Anglo-mode, half-length or three-quarter-length, and whether any copies were made for them to take home.

Here, incidentally, is John Evelyn's eye-witness account of Amb. Hadou's presentation to the Court of St James:

1682 Jan 11th To Lond: Saw the Audience of the Morocco Ambassador [Ben Haddu]: his retinue not numerous, was receivd in the banqueting-house both their majesties present: he cam up to the Throne without making any sort of Reverence, bowing so much as his head or body: he spake by a Renegado English man, for whose safe return there was a promise: They were all Clad in the Moorish habite Cassocks of Colourd Cloth or silk with buttons and loopes, over this an Alhaga [haik] or white wollan mantle, so large as to wrap both head & body, a shash or small Turban, naked leg'd and arm'd, but with lether socks like the Turks, rich Symeters [scimitars], large calico sleev'd shirts &c. The Ambassador had a string of Pearls oddly woven in his Turbant; I fancy the old Roman habite was little different as to the Mantle and naked limbs: The Ambassador was an handsom person, well fetur'd, & of a wise looke, subtile, and extreamly Civile: their Presents were Lions and Estridges [in fact two lions and 30 ostriches] &c: Their Errant, about a Peace at Tangire [Tangiers] &c.