A new portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, to mark Prince William's 40th birthday, has been released today. Painted by award-winning British artist, Jamie Coreth, the work is the first official joint portrait of the royal couple.
The full-body portrayal of the pair captures the couple's physicality and facial likeness in remarkable detail, their silhouettes striking against a neutral background. Kate wears a bright emerald The Vampire's Wife gown (a favourite designer of the social set), with matching Manolo Blahnik heels, complementary pearl earrings and a Garrard brooch. The piece is named 'the Duchess of Cambridge brooch' and was originally made in the 19th century, for Augusta, daughter-in-law of King George III, who then held the title. It is thought to be the first time Kate has worn it. Her husband sports a dark suit, letting his glamorous wife's resemblance catch the light and shine out from the work. Coreth has chosen to paint the duke and duchess looking away from the viewer into the near distance.
The duchess previously wore the shimmering dress in 2020, during a trip to Dublin. Part of a three-day tour of Ireland, she was pictured in the dress sipping from a pint of Guinness at the brand's Storehouse. More recently, Kate chose to wear The Vampire's Wife whilst on tour in the Caribbean. The duchess appeared in a similarly shimmering metallic pink gown by the designer, for a special reception hosted by the Governor General of Belize.
The painting was commissioned in 2021 by the Cambridgeshire Royal Portrait Fund, held by the Cambridge Community Foundation, as a gift to the couple. With this brief in mind, the artist reportedly worked to incorporate Cambridge into the portrait, by painting the background with the tones and colours of many of the historical stone buildings that are synonymous with the city. The portrait also includes the use of a hexagonal architectural motif which can be seen on buildings across Cambridge.
Coreth is an Oxford University graduate, who, keen to pursue a career as an artist, went on to study at the London Atelier of Representational Art and the Florence Academy of Art. In 2014, he graduated from the academy where, alongside his own studies, he had been working as an Art History lecturer and assistant tutor. In 2016, he was awarded the Young Artist Award at the BP Portrait Awards, for his painting titled, Dad Sculpting Me. He is currently represented by the bespoke portrait agency, Fine Art Commissions.
Coreth, who has previously painted the Duke of Roxburghe and the Princess Royal, has released a statement saying: ‘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. 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.'
Members of the public will be able to view the portrait at the University of Cambridge’s Fitzwilliam Museum for an initial period of three years, after which the artwork will be exhibited in other community spaces and galleries around Cambridgeshire. The painting will also be loaned to the National Portrait Gallery in 2023, to mark the gallery’s reopening.
