The Duchess of Cambridge is celebrating her 40th birthday. Three stunning portraits of The Duchess have been released to mark the celebration.
Ahead of her Royal Highness’ milestone birthday tomorrow, Kensington Palace has released the photographic portraits today.
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The photos were taken in November at the Royal Botanic Kew Gardens in Richmond and will enter the permanent Collection of the National Portrait Gallery, where The Duchess is a Patron. The gallery is set to re-open in 2023 and the photos will be featured as part of its Coming Home project, a nation-wide initiative which sees portraits of well-known individuals being sent to places where they are closely associated with.
Delighted to share a new portrait of The Duchess ahead of her 40th birthday tomorrow.
This is one of three new portraits which will enter the permanent collection of the @NPGLondon, of which The Duchess is Patron.
📸 Paolo Roversi pic.twitter.com/55Z5qBMLaP
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) January 8, 2022
Over the course of 2022, The Duchess’ new images will be put on display in three different places that are meaningful to her: Berkshire, St Andrews and Anglesey.
Of the pictures, photographer Paolo Roversi told Corriere.it that he took 250 images and that Prince William and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis helped pick their favourites.
When selecting the close up black and white picture, Roversi said it was “carefree girl returning.”
“Knowing my photos with the models she was a bit fearful in facing a real session, which then required about four hours of work. But once she started it would be very easy, I reassured her,” Roversi said of working with Kate.
He even got her to “dance” but that picture “is a secret image for now.”
“In the end I wanted to take pictures in motion, so with that wonderful wide skirt I made her dance in front of my camera, a kind of accelerated waltz mixed with a pinch of rock’n’roll,” he explained.
