A new portrait of Kate Middleton has been released and it’s already proving controversial.
The Princess of Wales, who is currently undergoing cancer treatment, stars on the cover of Tatler’s new July issue by way of a portrait.
The painting, which was commissioned from British-Zambian artist Hannah Uzor by the British fashion magazine, is based on photographs and videos of the princess that were taken a state banquet in November 2022, as opposed to an in-person sitting. For the event, Kate wore a white, floor-length gown and Queen Mary’s famous Lover’s Knot Tiara.
This is the third royal portrait Tatler has commissioned in this decade, having previously featured artwork of Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III in July 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Per the publication’s Instagram post, the painting aims to celebrate Kate as “a portrait of strength and dignity,” with Uzor telling the Tatler journalist, “She was born for this. She carries herself with such dignity, elegance and grace.”
However, since the cover was revealed on social media ahead of its May 30 release, it has been met with some backlash from royal fans.
In the Instagram comments, followers were quick to criticise the artwork. While there were a few morsels of support, the general consensus seems to be that the portrait is lacking in resemblance to the real-life Kate.
“Almost anti Royal putting this on front cover of a magazine,” wrote one user.
“This looks like I’ve painted it. And I don’t paint,” added another.
“This is not HRH The Princess of Wales. God knows who it is, but it is not HRH,” said anther, whose comment racked up more than 180 likes.
The Telegraph’s chief art critic Alastair Sooke was less gentle, calling the depiction “jaw-hits-the-floor bad.”
Neither Tatler nor Uzor have not commented on the controversy at the time of writing.
Kensington Palace has not commented on the cover either. However, this week they did provide an update on Kate’s health, saying that the princess would not be returning to work until it was okay-ed by her medical team.
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