Prince William and Kate Middleton gave a sweet tribute the Queen in first official portrait
A secret connection between Kate and the Queen was hidden in the first official portrait together with Prince William as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
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Kate Middleton hid a sweet tribute to Queen Elizabeth II in her first official portrait with Prince William as a royal couple.
For the first time ever, Kate wore the Queen’s “Duchess of Cambridge pearl pendant brooch”.
Pinned over her heart, the pearl and diamond piece of jewellery has belonged to the Queen’s ancestors for generations - handed down through the grandmothers and mothers of the Royal family.
It is thought to have been crafted in the 19th century by London-based jeweller Garrard to honour Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kessel, who was born in Germany in 1797 but became the Duchess of Cambridge when she married Prince Adolphus, the Duke of Cambridge.
The jewel, which features a large pearl in a cluster of diamonds connected to smaller pearls, was seen as early as 1877 on an elderly Princess Augusta in a portrait commissioned by Queen Victoria.
The family heirloom was passed down through the generations, and was worn by Queen Mary at the christening of then-princess Elizabeth in 1926.
After taking the throne, the Queen inherited the broach from her grandmother, Queen Mary, in 1953 and has been seen wearing it throughout her reign; including on her official 50th birthday portrait in 1976.
The Queen also wore the broach in her official portrait to celebrate her 50th birthday in 1976.
Its appearance on the first official portrait of Prince William and Kate, the future king and queen, is a highly significant continuation of the heirloom passing down from one Royal family matriarch to the next.
William and Kate smiled as they viewed their first official portrait together in Cambridge, painted by award-winning artist Jamie Coreth, at the University of Cambridge’s Fitzwilliam Museum.
According to The Sun, the massive piece of artwork, commissioned by the Cambridgeshire Royal Portrait Fund as a gift to the senior royals, shows the couple standing side-by-side as they gaze into the distance.
Artist Coreth used photos of the couple during a visit to Dublin in 2020 as inspiration.
The portrait shows Middleton wearing a metallic emerald dress by Susie Cave, Nick Cave’s wife, whose label is better known as The Vampire’s Wife. Prince William sported a dark suit and a blue tie.
Delighted to see this new portrait unveiled at the @FitzMuseum_UK in Cambridge today!
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) June 23, 2022
🎨 Jamie Coreth pic.twitter.com/36e9k4YOaN
The painting went on public display at the University of Cambridge’s Fitzwilliam Museum – and the couple appeared thrilled with the results.
After looking at the painting, Prince William said: “It’s quite big.”
He also told Coreth it was “amazing,” before the Cambridges wrote on Twitter they were “delighted” with the portrait.
Interestingly, the Cambridges both studied history of art at St Andrews University in Scotland, though Prince William later switched to geography.
Prince William said in a Big Issue Q&A session published this week to mark his 40th birthday: “I studied a bit of art history at university.
“Had to give it up. I kept falling asleep in the lectures. Terrible,” he said.
“We did a lot of Renaissance, which was amazing.
“But then once we got into modern art, I started to get a bit dozy.”
Coreth said he worked to incorporate the City of Cambridge into the portrait by painting the background with the tones and colours of many of the historical stone buildings synonymous with the city.
He also used a hexagonal architectural motif seen on buildings across Cambridge.
The artist said: “It has been the most extraordinary privilege of my life to be chosen to paint this picture.
“I wanted to show Their Royal Highnesses in a manner where they appeared both relaxed and approachable, as well as elegant and dignified.
“As it is the first portrait to depict them together, and specifically during their time as The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, I wanted the image to evoke a feeling of balance between their public and private lives.”
He added: “The piece was commissioned as a gift for the people of Cambridgeshire, and I hope they will enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed creating it.”
According to the Fine Art Commissions, the public can see the portrait at the Fitzwilliam Museum for three years. The artwork will then be exhibited in other community spaces and galleries around Cambridgeshire.
William and Kate continued their engagement in Cambridgeshire this afternoon, visiting the Milton branch of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) before sitting with supporters and partners of housing charity Jimmy’s.
Kate, who has been patron of EACH for 10 years, donned a floral face mask as she entered the hospice.
The couple stayed and chatted with children and their parents.
Prince William, who celebrated his birthday on Tuesday, is second in line to the throne after his father Prince Charles. He and Middleton share three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Slowed by age and health problems, the 96-year-old queen is gradually handing over more responsibilities to Charles, 73. That in turn gives William, his eldest son, a more important role to play and more opportunities to put the stamp on a new generation of the monarchy.
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