Kate Middleton Can't Get Enough Of Her New Portrait With Prince William
The royal family is no stranger to very flattering gifts. They've been given everything from expensive jewels (including the famed 186-carat Koh-i-Noor diamond) to singing toy hamsters, according to Vanity Fair. The latest gift presented to members of the royal family, however, is bigger than all the rest — literally. Kate Middleton and Prince William just received a larger-than-life portrait of themselves by the award-winning artist Jamie Coreth. The Duchess of Cambridge seems to be extremely smitten with the portrait, and there's a major reason why.
Kate Middleton is definitely used to having her photo taken. She's waved to the public in gorgeous outfits, been viewed by millions the day of her televised wedding, and has even graced the cover of Vogue. But it seems that the most recent portrait could be the one that she's most excited about. Not only is it the first official portrait of her and Prince William, but it's made to be in her favor.
In fact, the portrait could be what she needs to look more approachable to the public, which seems to be a big part of the royal game plan as of late.
Kate loved her first official joint portrait with Prince William
Believe it or not, this portrait is the first official joint painting of Kate Middleton and Prince William (via USA Today). The oversized image painted by Jamie Coreth was unveiled at the University of Cambridge's Fitzwilliam Museum on June 23, and it shows the pair relaxed, smiling, and gazing off to the right. As Elle points out, Kate Middleton is wearing a green lurex Vampire's Wife midi dress and the Manolo Blahnik heels that she wore in Dublin in 2020. There are no royal sashes or crowns in sight.
In all the images taken of the unveiling, Middleton is beaming when looking at the painting. Not only is it likely very exciting to see yourself in a portrait, but the portrait was painted to, well, be extremely flattering. "As it is the first portrait to depict them together, and specifically during their time as The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, I wanted the image to evoke a feeling of balance between their public and private lives. The piece was commissioned as a gift for the people of Cambridgeshire, and I hope they will enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed creating it," Coreth said, according to People.
Prince William might be king someday, but the portrait also depicts a very put together future queen consort.
The portrait shows a 'relaxed and approachable' couple
This royal portrait might be part of a bigger plan though. It could be a way to make the royal couple look a bit more approachable.
When Middleton joined the royal family, people were overall pretty excited. Not only did Prince William marry for love, but his wife seemed to fit into the family seamlessly. That was, until Meghan Markle came in and shook everything up. People realized that Markle, as an American who was from the acting industry, might just be more approachable and respected (via Newsweek). Then came the Oprah interview that shocked the world and pinned Markle and Middleton against each other.
As odd as it sounds, Middleton could be leaning into her recent portrait to shift her image and make her seem more approachable. "It has been the most extraordinary privilege of my life to be chosen to paint this picture," Coreth said, according to People. "I wanted to show Their Royal Highnesses in a manner where they appeared both relaxed and approachable, as well as elegant and dignified."
The royal couple have been trying to be more relatable
The portrait isn't the only way that the royal couple are trying to seem more approachable. The pair has been on a mission to "modernize the monarchy," according to The Sun. Kate Middleton and Prince William have even thrown around dropping their royal titles and being called by their first names. Because calling them Kate and William will apparently make them one with the common folk.
Middleton also started to open up more to catch up with the times. "The changing times have required Kate to start to share a bit more," Royal biographer Sarah Gristwood tells People. "She's done it carefully enough to be relatable — nothing that would cause controversy and nothing that could be considered oversharing."
Something tells us that the duchess won't be giving skincare or fashion recommendations anytime soon, but who knows where these little steps to be more approachable will lead.