Why does the king of Bohemia visit Holmes?

The king of Bohemia visits Sherlock Holmes to seek his help in retrieving a compromising photograph that could jeopardize his impending marriage to a Scandinavian princess. The photograph features the king with his former lover, Irene Adler, who threatens to use it to blackmail him. Concerned about the potential scandal, the king hopes Holmes can discreetly recover the image without drawing attention to the situation.