The British Duchess Kate celebrated her 40th birthday on Sunday very modestly, only with her family.
Similar to Queen Elizabeth II (95), who had significantly restricted her plans for Christmas and the turn of the year due to the omicron wave in the corona pandemic, Kate set a good example.
On her birthday, the Duchess of Cambridge presented herself to the public with three photographs in various female roles of the royal family. In one of the photos she looks boldly into the camera. She wears a glamorous red dress that leaves one shoulder uncovered and hangs down on the other in large folds down to the elbow. The hands are casually tucked into the wide folds of the skirt. The picture graced the front pages of several of the country's major Sunday newspapers.
Another picture shows Kate dignified in black and white, her gaze turned to one side, lost in thought, in a white dress made of gathered, gossamer fabric, almost like in one of the early photographs of Queen Victoria from the 19th century. And in a third portrait, also black and white, she looks into the camera with a warm smile. She wears a dress overflowing with ruffles and is somewhat similar to her mother-in-law Princess Diana, who died 25 years ago.
The conservative newspaper "Sunday Telegraph" commented that these are the most emblematic photos that have been made of Kate. "They also show the different sides of the Duchess, from the friendly, smiling, approachable mother to the more distant, lofty pose of a future queen," the paper continues. The portraits will initially be exhibited in different parts of the country before being shown in the National Portrait Gallery in London when it reopens next year.
The pictures were taken by the Italian photographer Paolo Roversi in London's Kew Gardens botanical garden. In an interview with the newspaper “Corriere della Sera” (Sunday), he raved about the photo shoot. “In the end, I wanted to take photos in motion. So I let her dance in front of my lens with this wonderful wide skirt, ”said the 74-year-old. Roversi spoke of a kind of fast waltz mixed with a pinch of rock 'n' roll.
Kate is a passionate photographer herself: on the birthdays of her children, the palace usually publishes pictures of the little royals that she took herself. Kate is considered to be absolutely stylish. The items of clothing that they and their children wear in public or that can be seen in pictures are quickly identified by Royal fans and often sell out quickly.
Catherine Middleton, as her real name is, has earned a reputation among the British as a dutiful, always cautious representative of the royal family. She is now on the popularity list of the still living royals in third place behind Queen Elizabeth II (95) and her husband Prince William (39). She likes to show herself in photos as a model mother with her children Prince George (8), Princess Charlotte (6) and Prince Louis (3).
The Duchess has been campaigning for the mental health of children for years.
And despite all her reluctance, she always surprises with self-confident performances: at a Christmas concert in Westminster Abbey, she recently performed on the piano alongside Scottish pop star Tom Walker and played a moving song with him in memory of the many corona deaths of the country.
Kate is considered the rising star of the British royal family.
Queen Elizabeth II recently seemed to acknowledge this when she praised Kate at her Christmas address for the "admirable support" that grandson William received from his wife in his work for climate protection.