Princess Catherine’s portrait for Tatler magazine ridiculed
Regal portraiture has never been an exact science – with beauty in the eye of the beholder.
But royal fans and art lovers alike appear united in their criticism of a new portrait of the Princess of Wales, which was meant to capture her “courage and dignity”.
The painting by British-Zambian artist Hannah Uzor, which is set to feature on the cover of Tatler magazine, took inspiration from Kate’s cancer diagnosis video message to the nation.
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One asked, “Is this a parody?”, while another wrote, “That is never the princess, that is another woman in her dress”, while others branded it “dreadful”.
The image shows the princess at the first state banquet of the King’s reign in a caped white Jenny Packham floor-length evening dress, with sparkling detail on the shoulders, and the Lover’s Knot tiara.
She was attending the South African state banquet at Buckingham Palace in November 2022.
The artist, who was asked if the princess’s cancer diagnosis video gave her a new perspective, said: “Without a doubt. All my portraits are made up of layers of a personality.”
Kate’s public address showed “a moment of dealing with something difficult, speaking from the heart, having the courage to tackle it head-on,” she added.
The princess did not sit for the portrait and Uzor found more than 189,000 images of her to inform her work which took three weeks to complete.
The artist expressed her admiration for the princess, who has stepped away from the public spotlight while she undergoes chemotherapy.
“She has really risen to her role. She carries herself with such dignity, elegance and grace,” Uzor, who is based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, said.
Last week saw the unveiling of the first official portrait of the King to be completed since his coronation.
Artist Jonathan Yeo’s depiction of King Charles shows the monarch bathed in a dramatic blood red hue – which also divided critics, although Queen Camilla told the artist: “Yes. You’ve got him.”
÷ The feature in the July issue of Tatler is available via digital download and will be on sale on newsstands from May 30.
