'He doesn't stand like that': Kate Middleton and William's royal portrait leaves fans disappointed
Kate Middleton and Prince William have paid a surprise visit to a museum in Cambridge to unveil a newly-commissioned royal portrait. The stunning painting is the first of the two of them done together. In the painting, Kate is seen wearing the emerald green Vampire's Wife gown she wore during a visit to Ireland in 2020, while William is sporting a black suit with a white shirt and a blue tie. The painting, by award-winning artist Jamie Coreth, was commissioned last year as a gift for the people of Cambridgeshire and will be on display at the university’s Fitzwilliam Museum for the next three years. Coreth stated that he aimed for a balance between Kate and William's public and private lives in the painting. He made an effort to merge the brick buildings of Cambridge's background into the portrait's colors and tones.
A hexagonal architectural element that is present in many of the buildings in the university city is depicted in the artwork. Meanwhile, Kate and William praised the artist’s work as they met him for the unveiling. William joked the masterpiece was quite big and said it was amazing.
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Mixed reviews
The new royal portrait got mixed reviews on social media with many users calling it 'disappointing' and 'a waste of paint and time'. One person wrote, "So depressing. And what are they looking at?!" "She looks bored and he looks angry," another added. "This portrait reminds me of that old fable about painter not being beheaded like others b/f him by painting only the profile of the 1-eyes king. Unlike Harry, William is not that thin, his suits are not that modern, and he’s balder," yet another person remarked. Many on social media also mocked another royal couple Harry and Meghan as one person wrote, “Harry and Meghan could never be this good.” “The struggle to be Harry and Meghan continues.” yet another person remarked.
So sorry to say this #portrait is disappointing - William’s posture is unnatural and Kate’s dress lacks her usual flair for style and simplicity. #Royal https://t.co/Zw3cL0D0DT
— Anne Reeves (@VisualBranding) June 24, 2022
Heck even in the painting they don't look happy being together. Like 1st wives club vibes. Notice Kate's upper torso is angled away from William like this was planned as a good bye painting. Also goes with the usual PR slights like..https://t.co/mB9n4rAGuO
— S Su (@sjsjedi) June 23, 2022
Is this Kate with Botox on a painting ? Because she doesn’t look like that in real life as for prince william he doesn’t stand like this. But nice try.
— Alegra Mel (@alegrafitzgera1) June 23, 2022
'Kate Middleton's a life force, but new painting is as dead as a dodo' https://t.co/9h4NNzQJVM via @MailOnline
— Christina Ross (@Christi10132928) June 24, 2022
She looks bored and he looks angry. I will say the picture is spot on.
— vernesa (@vernesa27292271) June 23, 2022
However, some people did like the portrait. One person wrote, “They are cute together.” “It is actually a very good portrait which is a difficult art. It can be divisive but this has captured the spirit of the couple, devotion to service as a duty, and the closeness of their relationship as help mates. It is one of the best,” another added. “What a portrait! Congratulation to the artist, very talented!” yet another person remarked.
It is actually a very good portrait which is a difficult art. It can be devisive but this has captured the spirit of the couple, a devotion to service as a duty and the closeness of their relationship as help mates. It is one of the best
— Farah Sadoq 🏴 (@fara7h1955) June 23, 2022
What a portrait! Congratulation to the artist, very talented! pic.twitter.com/IWGn4uU8Eh
— Alejandra 💃🏻 (@TheKateQueen) June 23, 2022
Coreth described the commission as ‘the most extraordinary privilege of my life.’ "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 said.
While this is the couple's first official joint portrait, they have previously been featured in several artworks. The first official portrait of Kate was in 2012, painted by artist Paul Emsley for the National Portrait Gallery. William and Harry were previously pictured together in a 2009 artwork by Nicky Phillips. In addition to being loaned to the National Portrait Gallery in 2023 to commemorate its reopening, this new piece will be on exhibit at the 200-year-old Fitzwilliams Museum for three years.
Kate and William first met at the Cambridge at St Andrews University where they studied history. However, William later switched to geography as he admitted that he switched courses because he grew bored with his lectures. He confessed, “I studied a bit of art history at university, had to give it up. I kept falling asleep in the lectures. Terrible. We did a lot of Renaissance, which was amazing but then once we got into modern art, I started to get a bit dozy.”