Gazing straight at the camera, this is the Duchess of Cambridge as you’ve never seen her before.
Wearing a striking red one-shouldered gown, her hands in the pockets and with
her naturally wavy hair lifted by the breeze to reveal diamond earrings on loan
from the Queen, she looks every inch the high fashion
model.
The portrait is among three breathtaking images taken by acclaimed
photographer Paolo Roversi to mark her 40th birthday on 9 January.
Taken at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in November, Kate radiates an
ethereal beauty in three exquisite gowns by Alexander McQueen, the British
label that created her historic wedding dress.
She is also seen in two black and white shots, one smiling into the
camera, wearing a floaty, ruffled white gown and with her hair styled in soft
curls. In a nod to sustainability, the silk jacquard lace organza and tulle
dress were created from remnants of fabric from previous collections.
Another recalls the traditional royal portraiture of Cecil Beaton as the
Duchess poses in profile in another flowing, off-the-shoulder gown and wearing
diamond and pearl earrings that belonged to Diana, Princess of Wales, her late mother-in-law. She also wears a
three-strand pearl bracelet, also thought to be Diana’s.
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The Duchess wears three dresses by her wedding dress designer, Alexander McQueen
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Italian-born Paolo was commissioned following a conversation between
Kate and the National Portrait Gallery, of which she has been a patron since
2012. They met virtually ahead of the shoot.
He said last week: “Taking the portrait of Her Royal Highness,
The Duchess of Cambridge, was a true honour for me, and a moment of pure joy. I
was moved by her warmth and friendly welcome and enchanted by her shining eyes
that reflected the loveliness of her soul and her smile showing the generosity
of her heart. It was a profound and rich experience for me, an unforgettable
moment. I have met a wonderful person, a person who, with her positive energy,
can bring hope to the whole world.”
The Duchess and Paolo drew inspiration from 19th-century
photography, which was the focus of Kate’s undergraduate thesis. Her keen
interest in portraiture and photography from the period later saw her
collaborate with the NPG on the Victorian Giants: The Birth Of Art Photography
exhibition in 2018. And she chose Kew Gardens as a location
to “reflect her passion for the power of nature and its positive
impact on mental health,” according to a royal source.
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The Duchess wearing Princess Diana’s pearl drop earrings
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The new images show the Duchess at her glamorous best and confident in
her looks as she enters her fifth decade. They follow a wonderful photograph of her with the Duke shared by
Kensington Palace on 1 January to mark the New Year. William and Kate, in a glittering gold Jenny Packham dress, are seen
holding hands and beaming happily in the back of the car driving them to the
James Bond premiere last September
The 40th birthday portraits will form part of the permanent collection
of the National Portrait Gallery which re-opens in 2023 following
re-development work.
In the meantime, they will feature as part of the NPG’s UK-wide Coming
Home project, which sees portraits of public figures on display in places they
are closely associated with.
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The Duchess also borrowed the Queen’s diamond drop earrings
The new images of the Duchess will appear in Berkshire, St Andrews and
Anglesey over the course of 2022, with further details to be confirmed.
The project has enabled works from the National Portrait Gallery’s
national Collection to travel to towns and cities across the UK, providing
communities with the opportunity to see famous works locally. The latest
images will join another 16 portraits of the Duchess in the gallery’s collection,
which include her engagement and wedding photographs.
In 2020, 100 finalists from her hugely successful Hold
Still photographic competition saw their images of life in lockdown added
to the permanent collection and last year they featured in a book by the same
name.
The Duchess is a keen amateur photographer, whose portraits of her own
children have graced the covers of newspapers and magazines across the globe.
And her poignant images of Holocaust survivors and their grandchildren were
recently on display as part of the Generations: Portraits of Holocaust
Survivors exhibition at the Imperial War Museum.
Last time we saw an official portrait of the Duchess taken for her
birthday she cut a far more casual figure, sitting on a fence at Anmer Hall in
jeans and a sweater, in a photograph taken by Matt Porteous as she turned 38.
But her new images strike a far more royal tone as she steps up her
duties in preparation for her future as a very modern queen.
