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The images created to celebrate the 40th birthday of Kate Middleton. Two shots in black and white and one in color, by the Italian Paolo Roversi, the photographer of the stars, who immortalized the Duchess of Cambridge with grace and elegance. 250 photographs, taken on a day in November 2021 in a greenhouse in London’s Kew Gardens, from which three were then chosen. Loved by her subjects, Middleton is widely regarded as the future of the British monarchy and these portraits confirm it.
A little bit Alice, a little bit Victorian
The first shot published on the official page of the Dukes of Cambridge is the most institutional. Roversi himself compared Kate in that image with Angelica of Leopard from Luchino Visconti. Kate Middleton, sitting in profile, is regal as she gazes into space, with her long wavy hair and minimal makeup. The engagement ring received from principe William stands out on the hand, lying on the white tulle of the dress. The profile is said to have been inspired by the shots taken by Cecil Beaton at the Queen Elizabeth and to Princess Margaret in 1945. At the same time, on the strength of her degree in Art History, Kate would have liked to retrace the works of Pre-Raphaelite artists.
There are those who have linked Kate to Alice in Wonderland and there was no lack of references with ballet dancers. In the second portrait, a vibrant color photo, Kate Middleton, with her hands in the pockets of a majestic red dress, she smiles at the camera. The most jaunty is a sepia-colored foreground where the Duchess shows herself in all her natural beauty, under the natural light of the location. The sweet face and the slightly blurred effect create a dreamlike image.
Clothes and jewels: the hidden meanings
We come now to the outfits chosen by Kate Middleton for these official profiles, which will become part of the National Portrait Gallery. The Duchess could only rely on again Sarah Burton, designer of Alexander McQueen, maison that has dressed her on many important occasions, including her wedding day in 2011. The desire to promote British excellence is always very strong in Kate but here a tribute to Italy is also evident, with the choice of Roversi, the reference to the Leopard and to the Pre-Raphaelite painters. There are three dresses sported by Middleton, revisited according to the standards required for such an event. Wide skirts, bows and embellishments, bare shoulders: the models do not go unnoticed and help to make Kate even more royal.
A parenthesis on jewels, chosen with care, is also a must. In addition to the aforementioned engagement ring, which belonged to Lady Diana, Kate Middleton recalled her mother-in-law, who passed away in 1998, with pearls in her ears. Discreet but evident at the same time. In the image with the red dress, instead, Middleton wears the diamond earrings by Queen Elizabeth. The perfect bridge between the current sovereign and the one who will one day sit next to the king.
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