The Duchess of Cambridge and the soon-to-be the Queen’s consort shared three beautiful portraits the night before her 40th birthday. These portraits not only mark her milestone birthday but signal a new era for women, and also a possibility for her to become the Princess of Wales. This bittersweet moment would only happen when Prince Charles takes the throne and the title of the King while Prince William and Kate would take the title of Prince and Princess of Wales, a reminder of Princess Diana.
Whether or not Kate gets the title, she has been constantly paying a tribute and homage to Princess Diana through multiple references. These include Diana’s engagement ring that Kate never takes off, her crown in events, references to her style and jewelry. But in doing so Kate also honors Queen Elizabeth since she will undoubtedly take the title of the Queen of England one day.
Details of the new official portrait
The stunning portraits were captured by Italian fashion photographer, Paolo Roversi and she is seen wearing different dresses, all designed by Alexander McQueen. It’s not the first time Kate chose a dress by Alexander but actually her third time. Even her wedding dress was a piece of art by McQueen!
These portraits will be displayed at three different locations, all around England, all those locations where Kate has lived. The locations are reported to be Berkshire where the duchess was born and spent her childhood, Anglesey, where Kate and William went to college together and first met each other, and St Andrews, the beautiful place where they lived as a newlywed couple in 2011. These are all a part of the “coming home” projects and will be added to the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery that includes many portraits of the Queen and other family members.
A “special meaning” behind these pictures?
One image is a black and white photo that is shot from a distance and shows her side profile while she looks at something at a distance with a slight smirk. She is seen wearing an ethereal chiffon white down with pearl drop earrings and ribbon trains and a bow flowing down from her shoulders.
This portrait pays tribute to Lady Diana in multiple ways. The earring once belonged to the late princess, Kate is also seen wearing Diana’s 12-carat oval sapphire engagement ring that she wears so often in public. Her hair appears to show her natural curls and waves. The portrait is also reminiscent of young Queen Elizabeth and her mother captured by Cecil Beaton.
The second picture shows Kate wearing a red off-the-shoulder dress. Her hair is parted on the left and blown by the wind with a graceful natural smile paired with bold red lipstick. In this portrait, she wore Elizabeth’s Diamond Frame Earrings with one hand in a pocket and puffy sleeve on one shoulder, another tribute to Diana and her signature pose in pictures. All three pictures portray her warmth and generosity in her soul and heart.
The third portrait is another monochrome image, a headshot reminiscing the era of romanticism with a clear focus on her smile and face. Diana’s pearl drop earring can be seen sparkling through her hair strands.