By virtue of its size and treatment, Heidelberg may have been intended as a pendant to The Opening of the Wallhalla, adjacent – the pair representing Germany past and present. But Heidelberg remained unfinished and Turner never exhibited it.

The painting shows the court of Princess Elizabeth, eldest daughter of the English king James I, who married the Elector Palatine, Frederick V in 1613. While the crowd enjoys the courtly festivities, the couple are seated on the hillside in the left foreground, with the castle beyond. Seven years later, Frederick lost control of the Palatine, prompting their exile in Holland.