Tatler magazine has published a new portrait of Kate Middleton to celebrate her power and dignity, but royal fans have called it “awful”. The cover of the British magazine is dominated by this image, painted by Hannah Uzor. Her source of inspiration was a dinner hosted by the Princess of Wales.
Kate – who has withdrawn from the public eye due to her cancer diagnosis – did not sit down to pose for the artwork. Instead, Uzor used various photos of the Princess of Wales.At King Charles’ first state dinner at Buckingham Palace in November 2022, the 42-year-old princess stole the show from the South African president in a white, bejewelled dress worn by her mistress Jenny Packham. With the dazzling dress and stunning cape, she wore a tiara and diamond and pearl earrings that belonged to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, and can be seen in Uzor’s painting.
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A recent portrait has provoked criticism, with some recognizing only the dress. One person commented on X: “She looks nothing like Kathryn. Without the dress I would have no idea who she is supposed to be.” Another added: “Is this a joke? That’s not the princess, just another woman in her dress. Also, she seems to have much shorter hair. This cover photo should not be published like this. It’s an insult to the princess.”
Uzor, the artist, explained how the portrait was created: “If you can’t meet the person, you have to study all the available images and combine her human moments from different photos. Do they have a unique posture or way of holding their head or hands? Are there repetitive gestures? Kate has really embraced her role and carries it with dignity, elegance and grace.” She added: “I feel the joy of motherhood with her.”
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