New portrait of Princess of Wales slammed online
A new magazine cover featuring a portrait of Princess Catherine has inspired backlash online, with royal fans slamming the likeness as ‘disrespectful’.
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Royal fans are dismayed by a brand new portrait of the Princess of Wales, with many claiming it “looks nothing like her”.
The painting of Princess Catherine will feature on the cover of Tatler magazine in honour of her “strength and dignity,” according to the magazine’s cover lines.
The portrait is by British-Zambian artist Hannah Uzor, who is said to have been inspired by Kate’s cancer diagnosis video message to the nation.
The image is meant to represent the Princess of Wales at the first state banquet of King Charles III’s reign, which was in 2022 during the South Africa state visit.
Kate is shown wearing a Jenny Packham floor-length evening gown with royal blue sash, embroidered shoulders and the ‘lover’s knot’ tiara.
However, the painting has provoked backlash online, with many royal fans replying to a post on Twitter/X previewing the magazine cover, which is on sale May 30, questioning the likeness to Kate.
“Doesn’t look like Catherine at all. If she wasn’t wearing that dress I’d have no clue as to who it’s meant to be”, said one post.
“Sorry, as much as I love that you have the Princess of Wales on the cover, that looks nothing like her.”
Tatler's July 2024 cover completes a royal tryptic of historic magnitude with a new portrait of the Princess of Wales by British-Zambian artist Hannah Uzor.
— Tatler (@Tatlermagazine) May 22, 2024
The July 2024 issue is on sale 30 May. Click here for more: https://t.co/i1v03dlnlYpic.twitter.com/NOaSx1t1XH
“Oh heck, I know art is subjective but it looks nothing like the Princess of Wales”, posted yet another.
“The face is just not Catherine,” said one, and adding that the royal was not standing straight but appeared to be “hunched.”
Another said, “It’s so awful, it’s disrespectful.”
“Put different clothes on her, and no one would know that is supposed to be Catherine.”
“Looks like some teenage drawing,” said one. “The so-called artist should be ashamed,” said another.
It’s the second royal portrait furore in a fortnight, with the public divided over the ‘blood drenched’ portrait of King Charles.
KATE MIGHT NOT RETURN IN PUBLIC ‘UNTIL END OF YEAR’
The Prince of Wales has delivered a “firm” edict to the Palace not to issue running commentary on his wife’s health in a deliberate strategy to ensure she is given a “stress free” and private space to recover from cancer, amid growing speculation she will not return to royal duties until the end of the year.
Fiercely protective Prince William is understood to have ordered Kensington Palace not to cave into public pressure to reveal when Princess Catherine will return to public facing duties, or to issue medical updates, for fear of putting extra strain on his wife, 42, who is undergoing a period of protracted preventive treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer.
Kate has been quietly working from the family home on the Windsor Estate after she was diagnosed and has since been taken off the royal work roster to concentrate on recovering and on her young family.
“The Palace being deliberately and firmly cagey about Kate is not accidental, there is a deliberate pivot of strategy to maintain royal privacy when it comes to Kate and this is being driven by Princess Diana’s son, who is a firm defender of his wife and her privacy,” said royal historian and author Gareth Russell.
“Kensington Palace is sticking to its guns and saying ‘Kate will return to work when she’s ready’, there are no leaks coming, it is not a coincidence after the orgy of speculation, some of it cruel, over her being out of action,” said Mr Russell.
“She is dealing with an immensely serious illness – cancer is unpredictable, treatment can be long.
“The palace is prioritising medical advice over privacy, it’s put up its boundaries to ensure no repeat of fevered conspiracy theories of earlier this year – all this is being driven by William.
“There is no evidence to say how she is responding to treatment or cause for any alarm,” he continued.
“Kate didn’t show this week at the Chelsea Flower Show, one of her favourite events – she is likely to skip the Summer and Autumn events, like Trooping the Colour and Wimbledon and return to work at the end of the year, at the traditional carol concert at Westminster Abbey.”
The future queen has kept a low profile since she was diagnosed after undergoing planned abdominal surgery at the private London Clinic on January 16.
The following day, Kensington Palace issued a statement saying “based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter”.
They stipulated they would only provide updates on her progress “when there is significant new information to share”.
The family spent Easter at their Norfolk home and since April have been living at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor relying on help from Kate’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton.
Kensington Palace will not reveal where the princess is being treated but her “privacy” is said to have been taken into account when deciding specialists and treatment.
A Kensington Palace spokesman said: “The prince will continue to balance his wife and family, maintaining his official duties as he has done since the start of the year.
“The princess will return to official duties when she is cleared to do so by her medical team. She is in good spirits and focused on making a full recovery.”
On Tuesday the palace released results of Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood the princess had commissioned which argued that investing in early childhood could generate £45.5 billion (A$86 billion) for the national economy each year. They were at pains to say this should not be seen as Kate’s return to work.
They confirmed she had overseen aspects of the report from home, despite her illness.
In March the Ministry of Defence (MoD) removed a claim on its website advertising an appearance from Kate at Trooping the Colour on June 6 and 8.
She will sit out the wedding of close friend and godfather to her son Prince George, the Duke of Westminster, Hugh Grosvenor, in Chester, northwest England, on June 7 at which Prince William will be an usher.
Kensington Palace reiterated the need for privacy. The media has been asked not to photograph her dropping the children off at school or attending appointments.
Meanwhile, Prince William continues to step up as he hosted his first garden party of 2024.
Guests in attendance at Buckingham Palace included Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall and her husband, Mike, to join him on hosting duties as the Princess of Wales continues preventive chemotherapy treatment following her cancer diagnosis.
The royals could be seen holding umbrellas in the rain, as the future king, 41, joked that it was “perfect weather for swimming.” The Prince of Wales chatted with guests, including a number from the Prince and Princess of Wales’s patronages, charities and affiliations.
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