Princess Of Wales Portrait Sparks ‘Where Is Kate’ Cries Amongst Royal Insults
Image via Tatler
Tatler magazine’s latest crowning glory has stirred up quite the commotion among subjects. The July 2024 cover commissioned by the British fashion publication, painted by British-Zambian artist Hannah Uzor and featuring a portrait of Catherine, Princess of Wales, has drawn mixed reactions online. It shows Her Royal Highness in a white gown, evoking a recent photograph from a state banquet.
The painting is the pinnacle of more than 180,000 archival photographs of the future queen studied by the artist. Despite this, it “still manages to incorporate Kate’s personal passions,” relates writer Ben Jureidini in a Tatler piece. Gently tinted in green, it pays homage to her interest in gardening, while the blue tones nod to her years of rowing while she was still studying art. It aims to capture subtle human moments through brushstrokes.
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This experimentation with color almost mirrors that of King Charles III, whose first official portrait since his ascension to the throne depicts the monarch surrounded by fierce red hues.
Uzor praises Kate’s elegance and grace but—herself a mother of three—also picked up on her “joy of motherhood.” Here, Catherine is seen locking eyes with the observer as “a princess, mother, wife, and artist,” the Tatler article expresses.
“All my portraits are made up of layers of a personality, constructed from everything I can find about them,” Uzor elaborates. While she never brushed shoulders with Kate, she remained confident going into the project.
“When you can’t meet the sitter in person, you have to look at everything you can find and piece together the subtle human moments revealed in different photographs,” the artist shares.
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Tatler’s royal triptych is now complete, featuring portraits of the Queen, the King, and the Princess of Wales. While previous covers of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 and King Charles in 2023 were well-received, this latest addition has not been so fortunate. Social media users have been quick to critique the artwork, questioning its likeness to the Princess and even making comparisons to amateur art.
The online debate has seen comments like, “What a horrible portrait,” and, “My nine-year-old granddaughter could probably have [done] a better job.”
I am unsure which is the worst portrait; at least Charles's finger looks like his. What are they trying to accomplish with Kate Middleton; is this what she will look like when she returns or if she ever return? #WhereIsKateMiddleton pic.twitter.com/czkRKh5X7L
— Muluye (@Mulugold) May 22, 2024
Alastair Sooke, the chief art critic of The Telegraph, hasn’t held back, calling the portrait “intolerably bad” and noting its lack of resemblance to Princess Kate.
The Princess of Wales’ recent absence from the limelight due to health concerns has fueled more speculation among royalists and conspiracy theorists, who argue that the portrait is another ploy to erase her image from the collective memory.
“Kate Middleton hasn’t appeared in public for months and she is being slowly replaced everywhere. Here is an example,” says one person on X (formerly Twitter).
This criticism follows a similar response to the recent King Charles III portrait by Jonathan Yeo, which was described by some as “nightmarish” and a portrayal of hell due to its dominant red hues.
[via The Telegraph, The Daily Beast, USA Today, images via Tatler]
