E-Paper
Kate Middleton's brand new portrait sparks fury among royal fans: ‘Doesn’t look like Catherine at all’
Kate Middleton's new portrait, honouring her "courage and dignity" amidst her struggle with cancer, will feature on the cover of Tatler.
While Prince Williams has asked Kensington Palace not to provide any information on Kate Middleton's health, a new portrait of the Princess of Wales will feature on the cover of Tatler, honouring her "courage and dignity" amidst the cancer battle.
Hannah Uzorhas created the portrait, titled 'The Princess of Wales - A Portrait of Strength and Dignity', which will appear on the July cover of Tatler magazine.
According to the British-Zambian artist, Kate's portrait was inspired by a cancer diagnosis video addressed to the nation. The portrait also shows Catherine during the first state supper of the King Charles' reign held in 2022. This was not only Charles' first state visit hosted by the UK as monarch but it was also the first official trip to the country by a South African leader since 2010.
During the supper, the mother of three looked stunning in a Jenny Packham-designed white gown. She also wore Queen Mary's Lover's Knot Tiara, a favourite of Prince William's late mother, Princess Diana. These costume details can be discovered in Kate's portrait.
Kate's image on the magazine cover is set against a green-blue background, according to the artist it is an homage to her eye color and the sense of being in a garden and on water, representing the princess's passion for rowing.
On being asked if Catherine's recent diagnosis of cancer provided her a new perspective, Uzor replied, "Without a doubt."
"All my portraits are made up of layers of a personality, constructed from everything I can find about them." The public address showed “a moment of dealing with something difficult, speaking from the heart, having the courage to tackle it head-on,” she added.
Expressing her support for Kate, who has remained away from royal duties and public eye due to undergoing chemotherapy treatment, the artist said: “She has really risen up to her role – she was born for this." The painter, who lives in St Albans, Hertfordshire, further hailed the Princess of Wales for her dignity, elegance and grace.
In March, Kate addressed the nation and announced via video from Adelaide Cottage that she has started a course of prophylactic chemotherapy.
In her speech, she stated that she had significant abdominal surgery in London in January, and it was assumed that her ailment was not malignant at the time. Stressing that the surgery was successful, she said postoperative examinations revealed the presence of cancer.
“My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment,” she declared.
Also Read: Kate Middleton confirms she is returning to royal duties with a ‘special film’
Royal fans react to brand new portrait of Kate Middleton
However, the brand new portrait received backlash from the royal fans, who claimed that it "looks nothing like her".
Replying to a post of the magazine cover by Tatler, one of the netizens questioned the likeness to Catherine. "Doesn’t look like Catherine at all. If she wasn’t wearing that dress I’d have no clue as to who it’s meant to be."
"Sorry, as much as I love that you have the Princess of Wales on the cover, that looks nothing like her," another wrote. A third user chimed in, "If it’s a portrait of Catherine shouldn’t it at least have looked like her?"
A fourth X user wrote, "Are you kidding me?" while another said: "Oh heck, I know art is subjective but it looks nothing like the Princess of Wales."
Kate's image on Tatler magazine comes after King's first official portrait by Jonathan Yeo since his coronation was unveiled last week. The remarkable portrait of Charles depicts the monarch in a startling red tone, with a butterfly on his shoulder to signify his love of nature and the environment.
