Hayter was born on December 17, 1792 in London, England, the son of Charles Hayter (1761-1835), a miniature painter and popular drawing-master and teacher of perspective who was appointed Professor of Perspective and Drawing to Princess Charlotte and published a well-known introduction to perspective and other works.
Initially tutored by his father, Hayter went to the Royal Academy Schools early in 1808, but in the same year, after a disagreement about his art studies, ran away to sea as a Midshipman in the Royal Navy. His father secured his release, and they came to an agreement that Hayter should assist him while pursuing his own studies.
Hayter was appointed in 1816 miniature-painter to the princess Charlotte. He passed some years in Italy, more especially in Rome, between 1816 and 1831, returned to London in the last-named year, resumed portrait-painting, now chiefly in oil-colour, executed many likenesses of the royal family, and attained such a reputation for finish and refinement in his work that he received the appointment of principal painter to Queen Victoria and teacher of drawing to the princesses. In 1842 he was knighted. He painted various works on a large scale of a public and semi-historical character, but essentially works of portraiture; such as "The Trial of Queen Caroline", "The Meeting of the First Reformed Parliament, " now in the National Portrait Gallery, "Queen Victoria taking the Coronation Oath" (accounted his finest production), "The Marriage of the Queen, " and the "Trial of Lord William Russell. " The artistic merits of Hayter's works are not, however, such as to preserve to him with posterity an amount of prestige corresponding to that which court patronage procured him. Hayter died on January 18, 1871.
Member of the Academy of St. Luke (Rome), member of the Academy of Bologna, member of the Academy of Parma, member of the Academy of Florence, member of the Academy of Venice
In 1809 Hayter secretly married Sarah Milton, a lodger at his father's house (he was 15 or 16, she 28), the arrangement remaining secret until around 1811. Together they had three children Georgiana, Leopold and Henry.
