First Official Joint Portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Unveiled Today

On Tuesday, June 21, 2022, The Duke of Cambridge marked his 40th birthday. Most royal fans have anticipated a glamorous celebration, a gala dinner, or any royal fanfare to celebrate the personal milestone of the second-in-line to the throne, after all, most direct British heirs had celebrated their 40th birthday with a gala dinner. 

Prince William said: "It's quite big" while gazing at the portrait

However, Prince William seemed to reject the idea of a grand celebration, and Kensington Palace did not even release a solo portrait of the Duke. 

But today, the official joint portrait of the Duke and Duchess has been unveiled in Cambridgeshire with the royal couple in attendance. This is the first time they have appeared in an official portrait together. 

First joint official portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

For their first official joint portrait as Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate looked regal, elegant, and dignified, incorporating both modern and classic tones in the portrait. And they have one arm on each other while gazing away to the side. 

The artist, Jamie Coreth, said, he wanted to portray the couple feeling relaxed and comfortable with each other. And with a sense of balance between their public and personal lives.

First joint official portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

The Duchess of Cambridge wore an elegant shimmering emerald dress designed by The Vampire's Wife, which she previously wore during their visit to Dublin, Ireland, in March 2020, just before the lockdown.

Kate previously wore this dress in March 2020

In the portrait, Prince William looked dapper in a black suit with a blue tie but chose to pose playfully by bending his left leg while putting one hand in his pocket. 

Painted by award-winning British portrait artist, Jamie Coreth, the piece was commissioned by the Cambridgeshire Royal Portrait Fund in 2021 as a gift to the people of Cambridge. 

Shared by the Fitzwilliam Museum

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge viewed the portrait this morning at the University of Cambridge's Fitzwilliam Museum where Prince William was heard saying, "It's quite big". 

Then the royal couple proceeded to meet with supporters of the project including the artist, Coreth, and Lady Sibyl Marshall - the wife of the late Sir Michael Marshall, who originally proposed the idea of creating the portrait.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Cambridgeshire

Prince William commented after looking at the painting: "It's quite big", And told Coreth, "It's amazing".

The royal couple both studied Art History at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, but Prince William switched to Geography in their sophomore year.

Prince William at the University of St. Andrews

Earlier this week, during the question and answer portion in The Big Issue, the Duke said, "I studied a bit of Art History at University [but] 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".

So that was the reason why he switched to Geography 😄

A closer look at the portrait

Jamie Coreth incorporated the city of Cambridge into the portrait by painting the background with the tones of many historical stone buildings. It also includes the use of a hexagonal architectural motif which can be seen on many buildings in Cambridge.

Asking how's the experience working on the portrait, Coreth said: "It's 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. 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".

Luke Syson, the director of the University of Cambridge's Fitzwilliam Museum, said: "It's incredibly exciting to be the first to be able to show the only double portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge so far to have been painted, and commemorating, of course, their connection with Cambridge through their titles. It's a great moment for the Fitzwilliam".

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's first joint official portrait can be viewed by the public for three years at the Fitzwilliam Museum.

It will then be exhibited in other galleries and community spaces around the country. It will also be loaned to the National Portrait Gallery for a short time in 2023 to mark the gallery's reopening.

For their engagement today, Kate wore a delicate LK Bennett's Madison tea dress and a pair of Emmy London Suede Pumps. She teamed the dress with a matching blue longline coat and a clutch bag.