Three new photographic portraits have been released on the occasion of the 40th birthday of the Duchess of Cambridge. The photos were taken by photographer Paolo Roversi. The Duchess wore different Alexander McQueen dresses for the photos. The Duchess is wearing the Queen's Antique Diamond Earrings in one of the three portraits. She is wearing earrings that belonged to Princess Diana, in the two other black and white photos. The 40th birthday portraits will form part of the permanent Collection of the National Portrait Gallery. The Gallery will reopen in 2023 with the photos forming part of its Coming Home project.
Alexander McQueen (bespoke version)
I love each and every picture ... the 3rd foto is absolutely perfect for the ancestral portrait gallery ...
ReplyDeleteGood point about that last comment on the third photo.BD
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteQuick note to just stick here. For anyone interested, The Court Jeweller has a very interesting post about these portraits.
Deletehttps://www.thecourtjeweller.com/2022/01/jewels-of-the-duchess-of-cambridges-birthday-portraits.html
Have a good day,
Glo
Thank you for the link, Glo ... very interesting informations ...
DeleteAbsolutely agreed, gorgeous. That 3rd picture is fantastic, what a future Queen.
DeleteChel
Thank you so much for the link, it actually helped me appreciate the photos now. I'm still not a fan of the overly blurred 2nd photo, but the styles of the photos now makes sense. It's obviously not for everyone, but I always old portraits & paintings which is why I actually liked the 3rd photo from the very 1st time I saw it. I like the fold of that ribbon, it's definitely harks back to gowns from a bygone era, beautifully hued silk gowns which glow in paintings. I do wish there was just a little more jewelry or a more interesting backdrop as it feels a bit stark, but the 3rd photo is still the best of the batch, she looks amazing in it.
Delete'Where is' the Duchess of Cambridge in these photos? Aside from the photos from the side, she looks like a completely different woman to me. I don't know if I think this is a good idea on the occasion of her 40th birthday...
ReplyDeleteMCS
How exactly? The profile picture shows her face as it usually is when she’s not smiling, with her cheeks slightly fallen. The one with the white dress is 100% Kate smiling as we know her from day one just with a blurry effect on the picture. The one in the red dress is a pose you never see from her because she doesn’t do photo shoots with her face turned and not looking front to the camera but it’s still 1000% recognizable.
DeleteI feel all people complaining thought there were going to be boring pictures and don’t know how to recognize that they’ve managed to create timeless yet modern photographs for this occasion.
Pam
Agreed! It is good to know that the woman in the pictures with the red dress in particular, and the second one as well, is Kate, as I would not have recognized her otherwise. The woman in the red dress looks nothing like Kate. So why fancy styling to make the woman unrecognizable? - Ellie
DeleteAgree!!! That's my opinion, too.
DeleteAnna
I thought exactly the same. The photos are beautiful but I had to look different times and read the text to find out it was Duchess Catherine.
DeleteAgree with you. I think in reality she looks much better than on these portraits.
DeleteIch sehe es genauso. Sind zwar schöne Fotos, aber......
Deletedas sehe genauso, kaum wiederzuerkennen
DeleteAgree,also the off the shoulder dress doesn't suit Kate at all.
DeleteI agree - Kate is a lovely looking woman but unfortunately these photos don’t look like her! Only the third picture in profile is recognisable…
DeleteJP
Love the photos which are so glamorous but agree that , apart from the last one, they don't instantly look like the Duchess. Not especially unusual with formal photos for Royal milestones. Nor a bad thing. Look at the photos of Princess Anne, taken for her 21st and there is a Christmas photo of Diana, maybe 1986, where you would never recognise her at first glance.
DeleteThis site is biased and will not like slightest negative comment about Kate but It's like all the photos are photoshoped in someone else's body. What were they going for a vogue magazine look? gone with the wind theme? All the hype and this is what they could deliver? Emma
DeleteFotos wie in einem Märchen - schön anzuschauen ,, wie die junge Queen damals im weissen Kleid und für das System gemacht !
DeleteCatherine ist eine natürliche Schönheit
Yes, the photos are nice in their way, very princessy, a bit vintage, good for the ancestral gallery, but it's not typical Kate and I had to look at least three times. But I understand that she wanted to do something special for her 40th birthday. I think the photo in the red dress is great as such. Frieda
DeleteMCS
DeleteAgree!!!
Lots of photoshop and botox.
Yes! She is so pretty, why would someone feel the need to photoshop her to point of not looking like her. I bet the original untouched photos are much better.
DeleteHappy Birthday Duchess;)
ReplyDeleteShe looks so ROYAL!
Andżelika
Am i the only one who finds the duchess looking very old here.I mean look at the portraits of other royal ladies who are decades older than her,they look very young
ReplyDeleteKate looks amazing like a native queen. Most of Kate's photos are snapshots of various events or informal family pictures - we have plenty of them. These photos are artistic stylized photographs, proper for rare ocasions. That red dress is spectacular. The last photo reminds me of portraits of princesses from the 19th century - in style, pose, dress - something like Sisi, the Austrian Empress.
ReplyDeletePS. All the dresses are gorgeous, but I have big reservations about the models who show them off. Why on earth do models have such terrible shoes? Who wears sports sneakers for the evening gown? Plus, the models have such a blank expression in their eyes, they stand like an immature teenagers with drooping shoulders. Who chooses those models? They look uncomfortable in that dress, as if they desired be in torn jeans and a sexy T-shirt. Dear designers, It's time to choose beautiful women to be models who know how to wear such evening gowns.
Stephanie
My first impression also was that the photographer had found his inspiration in portraits of Elisabeth of Austria, mainly those by Winterhalter in the 1860's.
DeleteMargot
The last picture is really like Sisi of Austria. Only the stars in her hair are missing. Beautiful photos but hard to recognise her at once.
DeleteSaF
Totally agree with you, Stephanie--think the ugly shoes are supposed to make the outfits look "edgy" and "cool" as are the dead eyed poses but they certainly fail spectacularly as far as making them look glamorous
DeleteInspired by the Sissi Portraits by Winterhalter - I had that same first impression.
DeleteAllover, I find the portraits too airbrushed, Kate looks much better in reality. Also, I don't find these Alexander McQueen dresses all that impressive, the white one flimsy and the red balloon sleeve one shoulder dress simply unflattering.
Simply spectacular!!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, beautiful Duchess Catherine!!
I am just sitting on the fence about these pictures; the princess looks so different from Kate as we use to see her. They are so called artistic pictures, if that is the choice. The dresses are quite nice I guess.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the models, it has now become so usual that they look like unreal creatures, this makes it very difficult, for me at least, to give an opinion.
Wunderschöne Fotos aber ich habe Kate zuerst nicht erkannt. Ihr Augen sind anders geschminkt, vermutlich deshalb. Und Foto Nr. 3 erinnert mich sehr an Kaiserin Sisi von Österreich.
ReplyDeleteVor ALLEM an die junge Queen Elisabeth damals :)
DeleteIch hatte beim dritten Bild genau die selbe Idee, es erinnert mich wirklich sehr an Sisi.
DeleteI had the same opinion than you when I saw the third picture.
She really reminds me in this pic at Sisi, Empress of Austria.
What an elegance and beauty. The dresses are a dream. Very artistic photos. However I think that the face of Kate has been photoshopped a little too much.
ReplyDeleteQUEEN CATHERINE 😍
ReplyDeleteThese portraits are timeless, looking forward to seeing them in the National Gallery
Jill.
I agree! I think the Duchess looks 10 yrs younger without the heavy eye makeup and liner she usually tends to use as well as the dark blush. The photographs radiate inner joy and peace which adds to her physical beauty.
DeleteMagnifique sur toutes ces photos pleines de douceur ; bon et joyeux anniversaire à elle !
ReplyDeleteThe photos are very beautiful, but I prefer more natural photos. Catherine is a natural beauty. It has always been such a joy to see her growing into her role. I hope she has a good time on her birthday!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely breathtaking!!! I love everything about these portraits, from her hair, her makeup, her dresses, her poses . . . everything!!!!!!!
ReplyDelete~ Patricia
I would have never recognize beautiful Kate from those photos.
ReplyDeleteAva
Looking at Kates photos I wouldn't choose Paolo Roversi to be my photographer.
ReplyDeleteAva
Are you sure he d ever choose you?
DeleteKate is a lovely lady. Not sure what happened in these photos,they do not depict the true Duchess Catherine.Maybe for her fortieth birthday they could have commissioned a suite of jewels for her;as there are so many jewels they could refashion.I like Diana but it is time to move on.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all she is stunning, I did have to do a double take when I first saw her. Her forehead in the photos is more prominent with the way her hair is styled and that gives her a somewhat different look to me!
ReplyDeleteYes, @Fitzhugh, such a good observation, her hair brushed away like this gives a very different impression. - As for preferring "natural" pictures: that's how we see her at each and every public appearance. Talking, walking, smiling, interacting, moving. Why should we compare daily PR snapshots for the media with portraits? These portraits have a completely different purpose. Nobody has to like them, of course, but in order to judge one should consider what they are meant for. (-Ann.)
DeleteWow 40 and fabulous! I love her versions of these dresses so much better than the designer photos. The red is just gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI do agree this gives her a very different look than we typically see (much like that previous Vogue photo shoot which was definitely more country and casual). However I don’t mind that it highlights how different settings (fashion, hair, etc.) change one’s appearance. Honestly they remind me of the old “Glamour Shots” at the mall- in a good way. I hope she just had fun getting all dressed up (especially with 3 little ones) and enjoyed these “official portraits” with their very artistic dynamic with her.
Glo
Troisième photo : très joli profil et très jolie robe féminine et romantique à souhait.
ReplyDeleteLa coiffure "lachée" avec ses jolies ondulations complète bien la tenue
Catherine la Princesse souriante et joyeuse fait plaisir à regarder.
First let me comment on the models. Isn’t that ridiculous, boots with gowns, bras that show, I can go on and on. As for the pictures of the Duchess, I love them. They look like her and I especially like the last one of her looking off into the distance. It looks so regal and almost like a painting. She looks her age and I just hope she doesn’t resort to cosmetic surgery Iike some of the other Royals..
ReplyDeleteFirst let me comment on the models. Isn’t that ridiculous, boots with gowns, bras that show, I can go on and on. As for the pictures of the Duchess, I love them. They look like her and I especially like the last one of her looking off into the distance. It looks so regal and almost like a painting. She looks her age and I just hope she doesn’t resort to cosmetic surgery Iike some of the other Royals..
ReplyDeleteI wonder what Katherine thinks? she can't really say I don't like them lets get another photographer, shame.
ReplyDeleteThey should have used the Italian photographer that Princess Diana used.
Mario Testino, he is fabulous.
Katherine has not colour in the red dress she is too pale, no blush or lipstick, such a shame she is a gorgeous woman.
Should have used the gold dress in the back of the car with her husband, now that photo captures her personality.
These are glamour shots, but to me they don't come anywhere close to Kate's deep natural beauty that few women are lucky to have. These are style images often used to make more out of someone who has less, which is not Kate's situation at all. To me, they take away from her classic good looks.
ReplyDeleteBut I'll give her credit for doing something different and new. Never seen her like this before (whether I like it or not).
- Anon 9:13
Stunning photos. We don't often see Duchess Catherine in such voluminous skirts. They give her slim figure a curvaceous appearance not always evident in her sleek wardrobe. The red gown is absolutely gorgeous and the Duchess looks very regal. The third photo, with the full skirt, reminds me of the 21st birthday photo of Princess Margaret. I suspect this photograph will stand the test of time for Catherine. I'm not too fond of the second photo, as there are too many ruffles and seems juvenile to me, much like prom dresses of old. I very much look forward to reading Phyllis Craine's contribution to this post.
ReplyDeleteI think these are artistically beautiful pictures, I also think that the excessive photoshopping makes her face look a little strange, and unnaturally young. I like the one in red best, the last one looks a bit creepy in a ghostly 19 th century way.
ReplyDeleteCherry
Pictures are beautiful and I knew exactly who it was before I read any description.
ReplyDeleteRenee
Third one is my favorite and it is insanely good. On first and second her face looks different but I like them, dresses are really good.
ReplyDeleteDP
Well, these are beautiful pictures of course, the Duchess looking stunning, but I wouldn't have recognised her when asked. My first thought when seeing these images were ' What has she done to her face?' Well, probably nothing, so why did this photographer make her look like some unknown actress instead of her beautiful self? And why such an old fashionhed look for a royal in the 21st century? I miss at least one image with a much more modern look and feel.
ReplyDeleteStunning!!! These are artistic portraits that not only highlight the natural beauty (love the natural look of her hair) of the Duchess but also convey her regal qualities. Her smiles in 2 of the photos show her usual warm, engaging smile because it reaches her eyes--they are sparkling, especially in the black and white photo. I also like the minimalist makeup--it allows her natural beauty to shine. I can only imagine how breathtaking these portraits are in person.
ReplyDeleteThe portraits are made for a purpose: to be displayed in the National Portrait Gallery one day. They need not to show the "natural" Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge we are used to seeing almost on a daily basis. They serve a different purpose. Formal, artistic, regal, but in some ways also modern. The b/w ones strongly remind me of the Victorian era (and yes, Empress Elisabeth of Austria then lived, too), or of some of the romanticised pictures Cecil Beaton once took of Elizabeth, The Queenmother, and Princess Margaret. I think, this also is one of the reasons why Catherine, who is an apt photographer herself, chose the style in which she would be pictured. She wanted to connect the past with the present and the future. Cleverly done. It tells of tradition, of modernisation, but also clearly hints the future queen consort, without any doubt. I'm in awe... of the storytelling as well as the mindful approach taken to this pictures. And she looks fabulous, too.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely agree with you and your eloquent statement!
Delete@DSC - Thank You ! I’ve looked at these photos and couldn’t quite connect the dots to what the ‘message’ was ! Having read your thoughtful post, it has become apparent!
DeleteCatherine has connected the past with the present and the future ! Cleverly done !
I see these photos as a glimpse into how she is with family and friends and off duty !
Catherine is a beautiful woman, and the photographer has captured something that we very rarely see ! Ana
Thank you, I completely agree with you. When I saw them on Instagram I absolutely love them. And wish her royal highness very many happy returns on her 40th birthday.
DeleteT
DSC, one can only agree with your comment!
DeleteBut did they have to photoshop they so much? What message does it send to the world. That her skin is not good enough and that 40 year old women should be ashamed of their own age. This is the problem why women think they need botox and fillers as soon as they gets adults.
DeleteAuch ich finde die Fotos wundervoll! Aber Catherine sieht nicht aus wie Catherine...
ReplyDeletelisa
@ DSC I love your explanation of these portraits. As a photographer herself, there's no doubt Kate had a vision, worked closely with Alexander McQueen and Paolo Roversi, and she had a final say in which portraits were chosen. Too many people forget that she had a different style before she became a member of the royal family. This was a rare time she was able to express herself more freely. I think it is great to see her do something out of the norm. She should look different than she does in her day to day work because she is not at a function. These are professional, posed portraits. Posing sans tiara signals a more relaxed future to me. Wearing Diana's earrings is a beautiful tribute, and I am always touched when either wife honors her. The red gown is fantastic on Kate. It gives her body the shape it doesn't have naturally. She also wears red well. With her hands in the hidden pockets, it is a fresh, more modern look. In the second gown, the transition, we only see the ruffle detail in the upper body. Combined with the soft focus, highlighting Kate alone and not the dress, it is possibly suggesting Kate coming into her own. The third portrait, the most formal and traditional pose, gives us the most unpretentious gown. Minimal details let Kate shine. The pose is simple, yet profound. The tail of the shoulder tie has been crossed for a subtle detail, and the way she is holding it displays her ring, a symbol that she is the wife of the future monarch. Diana's earrings are seen to their full advantage in this pose. To me, in this trilogy of portraits, Kate is trying to express that she has come full circle. Whether or not her fresh face look or gown choices are to your liking, they are her choices and how she wanted to represent herself at this stage of her life. They are definitely meant to send a message in my mind. ~d
ReplyDeleteShe looks lovely, she always does, like a true princess is suppose to... HBD
ReplyDeleteTo all the discontent:
ReplyDeletePeople please don't be rude. It's her birtday. It's beautiful woman and beautiful session. Why always so critic? The portraits are "another ones". It's something new about Catherine but I really like it.
Ana
These are a stunning set of photos and the Duchess of Cambridge looks fabulous, beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThe pictures are astonishing, Kate looks so beautiful and regal in them. She really can do everything - shine in jeans and wellies at some Scouts event, shine in suit and coat at some official function, shine in evening gown. It's not only her looks, either, stunning as they are, it's her lovely personality that shines through. This woman is such an asset to the royal family, and I think they know it.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the pictures look a teensy bit too photoshopped for my taste.
Wonderful portraits, each quite interesting in its own way.
ReplyDeleteHair worn down with less structured curls and no visible part gives these compositions a dynamic, natural quality. With soft contrast and an indistinct light source, the portraits reflect both contemporary and historical influences.
My fave is the red dress (with pockets, no less!) which Kate wears well.
Вера💚🦋
The portraits are beautiful! We are used to seeing Catherine with makeup and a variety of colors, styles, and design that engance her life as a working royal. These "retouched" pictures show the natural and regal beauty of a future queen, and will take their place as part of history with the uniqueness of HRH Duchess Kate, wife of the future king .
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
DeleteThat youtube piece demonstrates how even a simple photo session can be converted into subliminal messages and explain and analyze somebody's personality, I find it utterly ridiculous. In my opinion this is just a photo shoot, artistic, well done , and utterly bland.
Yes, just someone interpreting body language, such as what her hand in the pocket means. I think it means she has a skirt with fantastic pockets and posing with her hands in the pockets looks relaxed and modernizes the pose. I don't think this is a Da Vinci Code moment. ~d
DeleteI've waited to comment on these photos. Something seemed off in all of them. It is the 'flatness' of the photo itself, there is nothing in the background to ground the photo, unlike the photo's of the Queen, Margaret, Queen Mother, there were backgrounds in their photos. The lack thereof, leaves my opinion slightly askew. Its not the full bodied woman we've gotten to know over the last 10 years, that part of her is missing. Her personality is not shining through, the light and life is just missing from her face. They are beautiful photo's, but over photoshopped, bland and uninspiring of a royal such as Catherine. -E
ReplyDeleteAgreed! I had similar thoughts on it. Kate deserves better pictures on her Birthday.
DeleteIt's to much photoshopping. Look at her forehead. Nothing wrong with the photos and she looks great, but her face are flat and thats not Kates foult.
DeleteSon fotos hechas para la posteridad.La del vestido rojo no me gusta. Es un modelo extravagante que no tiene nada que ver con su estilo.
ReplyDeleteLa tercera me recordó a Sisi pero me parece una foto esplendida.
Me gustaría que nuestra reina Letizia se hiciera fotos así . Quizá las haga pero no las publica.
Beautiful photographs full of artistic personality -- both that of the photograper and of C, who is a photographer herself and reportedly collaborated on these photos with Roversi. The use of a bleached and aethereal look reminds me of some 19th century photographs. Fabulous artistic portraits, and I believe C herself likes the style too.
ReplyDeletePaula
Welcome to big 4OH club Kate. She looks stunningly beautiful. Love her hair, makeup, clothes the whole combination. I did recognise her immediately. She is an amazing woman a pure delight to the British royal family. Happy birthday Kate. Mary
ReplyDeletepssssssst Mary, her name is Catherine, not Kate.
ReplyDeletePlease don't be petty. She is the same person she was before receiving a title. She may use Catherine formally because that is what the firm has decided, but she is still Kate. You don't think her family and friends have stopped calling her Kate, do you?
DeleteNot sure where I read it, but I think Kate doesn't mind being called either Kate or Catherine. Of course, in formal settings, proper titles or given names are best, but here, chit chat amongst style watchers, a nickname here or there doesn't seem too bad. Just sharing my humble opinion.
DeleteВера💚🦋
Two of the pictures do not look like her, I don't think it is her but someone else all together. The picture were she is stand sideways is the one that looks like her!
ReplyDeleteNice photos. A bit to heavy on the photoshopping though. Don't think she have been so wrinklefree since she was a teenager ;)
ReplyDeleteIt is Catherine herself who prefers to be called Catherine, this is what I read and I find it highly understandable for everybody, not just for a future queen. I would not want strangers call me by my nickname. But she cannot change what the tabloids established ("Kate Middleton"). - William always calls her Catherine. (-Ann.)
ReplyDeleteIn public. You don't have ears in their home.
DeletePrincess Charlotte is called 'Lottie'. Kate said this in public.
Queen Elizabeth is 'Lilibet' to her family. Has always been 'Lilibet' to her family.
Queen Elizabeth's father, King George VI, born Albert Frederick Arthur George, was called 'Bertie'. You get the picture.
@Anon 20:12, "You don't have ears in their home": It is none of our business what happens at home. So of course, he calls her "Catherine" in public. Becuse this is what he also thinks is proper - in public. Clearer now, the difference between "public" and "private"? (-Ann.)
DeleteAnd you read this, where?
ReplyDeleteShe is of course pretty but in these photos especially the first two poses she is over grinning trying to act like a young girl when in fact she just hits 40. I can see playful Princess Estelle in these two poses. Princess Diana in similar pose for photo one and photo two looked elegant, beautiful and queenly. While the Queen in third pose looks beautiful, dignified and fresh.
ReplyDeleteExcept for the profile portrait that is really well done, I don't like what the photographer dit to her face. Catherine is already thin and he made her look emaciated. So many things on her face changed, even her hairline changed. She looks like a young Ceiline Dion. What's the point of having your portrait done if it looks nothing like you? Catherine deserved better than that!
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