Kate Middleton Takes Our Breath Away in 3 Gorgeous New Portraits for Her 40th Birthday

Published Jan 9, 2022

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2:08pm

Today is a major milestone for the Duchess of Cambridge, as she is celebrating the big 4-0. And while we predicted there would be a brand-new portrait of the royal to mark the exciting day (just as there's been in the past), we woke up to an even better surprise.

The duchess and her hubby, Prince William, used their joint Instagram account to share not just one, but three stunning new portraits of Middleton, all of which were taken by Paolo Roversi.

But that's not all. Along with sharing the snaps, Middleton revealed that these photos will be hung in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery. The historic art museum shared the photos to their own account, reporting that they were taken in the Kew Gardens in November of 2021.

The gallery offered more details on how the portraits will be displayed, saying, “The Duchess has been a Patron of our Gallery since 2012, and we’re excited to see these photographs displayed as part of our Coming Home project, where we send portraits of well-known individuals to locations they are closely associated with. The images will be shown over the course of this year in three places that have a special meaning to Her Royal Highness: Berkshire, St Andrews and Anglesey. We look forward to sharing more about how you can see the portraits later this year.”

The photos show Middleton posing in three different dresses, with two of the photos in a sepia tone, while the other is a full-color image that allows Middleton's bright red dress to pop. All of the gowns are marked by dramatic sleeves and flowing skirts, and Middleton accessorizes with pearl drop earrings, while her hair is styled in loose waves.

According to People, Middleton was paying homage to Princess Diana, because her pearl earrings, as well as the sapphire engagement ring that is seen in the first photo, all belonged to the Princess of Wales. Meanwhile, the diamond earrings she pairs with the red dress once belonged to Queen Elizabeth.

As if we didn't already have enough reasons to freak out, the duchess also shared a personal message with the last pic, where she said, “Thank you for all of your very kind birthday wishes, and to Paolo and the National Portrait Gallery for these three special portraits.” And we know she wrote this caption herself because she signed it with a “C.”

We hope it's a great birthday, Kate. 40 looks good on you.

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Joel Calfee

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

Joel is the former Associate Editor for News & Entertainment and has been reporting on all things pop culture for over 5 years. Before working at PureWow, he served as a Features Editor at ROCKET Magazine. When he's not dissecting the latest trends in entertainment (or guiding you on what to watch), he covers all the hottest red carpet looks and fashion movements. When he steps away from the keyboard, you can likely find him at an NYC concert, thrift store or LGBTQ+ bookstore happily perusing the shelves.

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