Kate Middleton honored two other royal family members in the photos taken to commemorate her 40th birthday, which she celebrated on January 9th. In the pictures, the always stylish Middleton wore stunning Alexander McQueen ball gowns and some very special jewelry.
Kate Sports Royal Family Heirlooms For Photo Shoot
In one photo, the duchess wore a bright red gown and Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Frame Earrings. She’s worn the earrings several times before. The other two pictures, both shot in black and white, show Middleton wearing two different white dresses.
She pairs both dresses with the Collingwood Pearl Earrings, which once belonged to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana. The earrings were given to Diana before her wedding to Prince Charles in 1981, and Middleton has worn them many times in the past.
Middleton also appeared to be wearing Diana’s triple-strand pearl bracelet, along with her iconic sapphire engagement ring, for the photoshoot, done by photographer Paolo Roversi. While the accessories paid tribute to her in-laws, the dresses were true to Middleton’s personal style.
All three dresses were from Alexander McQueen, and designed by Sarah Burton. Burton is one of Middleton’s favorite designers; she was the creative force behind Middleton’s 2011 wedding dress.
Diana and the queen weren’t the only family members represented in the duchess’ birthday photos. Roversi shared that one of the pictures, a close-up shot of Middleton smiling in a one-shoulder white gown, was chosen by Prince William and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
Photographer Thinks Pictures Show A ‘Different’ Side Of Middleton
In an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera, Roversi revealed that each of the three portraits shows a “different” side of the duchess. The black and white profile shot of Middleton “is regal and has a maturity that goes beyond her age, and the white dress dampens the seriousness of an effigy.”
Meanwhile, the photo of Middleton in a red dress is “a little more glamorous.” Roversi said that he wanted to give the portraits a “contemporary” feel, using “only natural light, little makeup, and no hairstyle.”
The portraits will enter the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery, of which Middleton is Patron. The Gallery will reopen in 2023. The photographs of Middleton will be part of the Coming Home project, a nationwide project that sends portraits of well-known individuals to locations they are closely associated with.
The duchess’ pictures will be displayed this year in three places close to Middleton’s heart: Berkshire, St. Andrews, and Anglesey. Berkshire is where Middleton grew up, St. Andrews is where she and William met, and Anglesey is where the young couple spent the first few years of their marriage.