New Kate Middleton portrait in Tatler sparks backlash, leaving fans horrified
A brand new portrait of the Princess of Wales is to feature on the cover of the new edition of Tatler magazine to honour her "courage and dignity" - but many royal fans have been left baffled by her depiction
A brand new portrait of the Princess of Wales has left royal fans horrified, with many claiming it "looks nothing like her".
The painting of Kate is to feature on the cover of Tatler magazine in honour of her "strength and courage". It is by British-Zambian artist Hannah Uzor, who took inspiration from her cancer diagnosis video message to the nation. The image captures the princess at the first state banquet of the King’s reign in 2022 during the South Africa state visit. She is shown composed, standing and facing forwards in a regal, caped white Jenny Packham floor-length evening dress with sparkling detail on the shoulders, and her go-to tiara, the Lover’s Knot.
But it’s faced a backlash online, with many royal fans replying to a post of the magazine cover by Tatler, questioning the likeness to Kate. One wrote: "Doesn’t look like Catherine at all. If she wasn’t wearing that dress I’d have no clue as to who it’s meant to be."
Another said: "Sorry, as much as I love that you have the Princess of Wales on the cover, that looks nothing like her." One asked: "If it’s a portrait of Catherine shouldn’t it at least have looked like her?" Another fumed: "Are you kidding me?" While one royal fan wrote: "Oh heck, I know art is subjective but it looks nothing like the Princess of Wales."
The image on the magazine cover is set against a green-blue background – a nod to Kate’s eye colour and the experience of being in a garden and on water, reflecting the princess’s love of rowing, the artist said.
The portrait is by artist Hannah Uzor ( Image: Philip Sinden/Tatler/PA)
Asked whether the princess’s recent cancer diagnosis video gave her a new perspective, Uzor said: "Without a doubt. All my portraits are made up of layers of a personality, constructed from everything I can find about them." The public address showed "a moment of dealing with something difficult, speaking from the heart, having the courage to tackle it head-on," she said.
The artist expressed her admiration for the princess, who has stepped away from the public spotlight while she undergoes chemotherapy treatment. “She has really risen up to her role – she was born for this. She carries herself with such dignity, elegance and grace,” Uzor said. The painter, who is based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, is, like Kate, a mother of three, and added: “‘I sense with her the joy of motherhood.”
Uzor is the third artist to receive a commission from Tatler to paint a portrait of a member of the royal family. She follows Sarah Knights, whose painting of the King appeared on the magazine’s July 2023 cover, and Oluwole Omofemi, whose tribute to Queen Elizabeth II graced the Platinum Jubilee issue in 2022.
Last week marked the unveiling of the first official portrait of the King to be completed since his coronation. Jonathan Yeo’s striking depiction of Charles shows the monarch bathed in a dramatic red hue. It also features a butterfly on his shoulder – at the King’s suggestion – reflecting his love of nature and the environment, and also his metamorphosis from prince to monarch.
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