these sublime portraits published for its 40 years

The Duchess of Cambridge has the makings of a queen, and has just proven it. Kensington Palace unveiled on Saturday, January 8, three unseen portraits of Kate Middleton, in honor of her fortieth birthday, which she celebrates this Sunday with her family. In these pictures, the wife of Prince William, crowned with grace, has decided to temporarily shed the image that the public usually has of her: that of a royal figure more accustomed to more formal poses. Here, Kate Middleton bet on glamor, and it is under the lens of the Italian fashion photographer Paolo Roversi, particularly known for his campaigns carried out for big houses of haute couture, that she chained various poses to reflect different traits of her personality, dressed in dresses by Alexander McQueen, the luxury house that also created her wedding dress in 2011.

A tribute to Princess Diana

“From the three photographs you can see all three aspects of Kate’s personality.“, explained a source from the Palace to Daily Mail. “There is her royal side, as you can see in the classic photo where she looks into the distance“, he then described. In this shot, which also looks like an old portrait with its hue a bit sepia, Kate Middleton wears a white dress with a bardot collar, embellished with muslin and ribbons tied on the shoulders The jewelry she wears in this photo were chosen to pay tribute to Princess Diana: her engagement ring and the pair of pearl and diamond earrings she wears both belonged to to the mother of Princes William and Harry.

On the second portrait, in color this time, Kate Middleton shows a big smile and a haughty port in a red satin dress fitted with one sleeve and provided with pockets. In this photo, she is wearing a pair of sparkling earrings from the private collection of Queen Elizabeth II. According to the source of the Palace, who confided in Daily Mail, this photo is “more informal“, and reflects”the 40-year-old modern woman“. Finally, the third black and white portrait”offers a more intimate perspective“, and depicts Kate Middleton wearing an organza dress, with jacquard lace tulle and recycled silk, which was made from scraps of outfits from old Alexander McQueen collections, sewn together.

Paolo Roversi, who captured these portraits in November at Kew Gardens, London, claimed that this photoshoot was “a moment of pure joy“for him.” JI was touched by her warm and friendly welcome, and enchanted by her shining eyes which reflected the beauty of her soul and her smile showing the generosity of her heart. I met a wonderful person, a person who with their positive energy can bring hope to the whole world.“, he also underlined. These photographs are intended to join the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery, of which Kate Middleton is the patron. But they should also travel within a traveling exhibition, called” Coming Home ” , in which portraits of celebrities will be exhibited in their hometowns.