The twin copy of a £ 165,000
painting given to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge when Princess Charlotte was
born will be auctioned by Saturday.
Commissioned by an anonymous
friend of the royal family, the painting was given to Prince William and Kate
Middleton when Charlotte was baptized in July 2015, when she was only two months
old.
The artwork, created by famed
artist Stephen Cawston, is a replica of the seven-foot wife oil painting from
the original 1937 Oscar-winning Disney animation billboard Snow White and the
Seven Dwarfs.
At the time it was reported
that the painting’s value was estimated at £ 164,988, but it could be fetched
more in an online sale organized by Dutch auction house Hessink on 2 July.
A seven-foot wife copy of a
painting donated to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge when Princess Charlotte,
now seven, was born, will be sold this weekend by Dutch auction house Hessink
While the painting was wrapped
in bubble wrap and delivered to Kensington Palace in the summer of 2015, its
twin copy remained in Knightsbridge.
It shows the Disney character
surrounded by his seven friends, the forest animals and Prince Charming and the
Evil Queen in three different scenes.
It was announced that a
“generous” friend of the royal family had given the painting to Prince William
and Kate around the time of Charlotte’s christening in July 2015 (pictured:
Kate Middleton and the queen on christening day).
Cawston, who specializes in
the reproduction of movie posters, kept the twin at the HomargeGgallery, where
he exhibited his artwork.
At the time, it was thought
that Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone was considering buying the twin copy from
one of his nephews.
The painting was hand-drawn
and painted by Cawston and took a month to complete.
The artist’s work is
appreciated by celebrities and he counts Guy Ritchie among his fans after he
was commissioned a hand-painted poster for “The Man from UNCLE” for the
director’s wedding to Jacqui Ainsley in 2015.
When the artist finished the
painting for Princess Charlotte, royal expert Katie Nicholls reported for
Vanity Fair that it had been commissioned by a “dear friend” of the family.
Although Cawston did not
comment on the friend’s identity, he confirmed that he was commissioned to do
the painting as a gift for Princess Charlotte.
A source close to the matter
said at the time: ‘It is an extraordinary and very original painting. The
artist totally captured the magic of the film. William and Kate will be
absolutely thrilled when they receive it.’
It is not known where the
Cambridge decided to exhibit the great work of art.
The twin and many other works
by Hessink will be auctioned this week. The opening bid for the Snow White
replica was set at € 20,000 (£ 17,270).
