Kate Middleton Pays Tribute to Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth in Her 40th Birthday Portraits

The Duchess of Cambridge holds off celebrations for milestone 40th birthday

10 January, 2022

Kate Middleton Pays Tribute to Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth in Her 40th Birthday Portraits

The Duchess of Cambridge turned 40 on January 9th and to mark the occasion, the Kensington Palace released three stunning new portraits shot by Paolo Roversi. A radiant Kate wears customised gowns designed by Alexander McQueen, the designer that she wore for her wedding to Prince William in 2011. In the portraits she also pays a subtle tribute to her mother-in-law Princess Diana and the reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth.

In one of the photos, Kate wore a beautiful red gown with a statement sleeve. The one-shoulder dress featured functional pockets. She paired the outfit with a pair of dangling diamond earrings loaned to her by the 95-year-old monarch.

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In the first of the two sepia tinted photo, the duchess wore a long, “princessy” billowy white dress. The side-profile highlights her teardrop earrings and her statement ring. Interestingly, both belonged to Princess Diana. This wasn’t the first time that Kate wore the sapphire engagement ring of Diana, the Duchess had previously wore the sparkler for her engagement photos with Prince William in 2010.

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In the third photo, Kate stares into the camera with a radiant smile as her lock cascade down and fall beyond her shoulders. All three images, which were taken by photographer Paolo Roversi, will become part of the permanent collection at the National Portrait Gallery in London and will be included in the institution’s “Coming Home” project that showcases portraits of well-known figures in various, meaningful locations.