A portrait or parody? Why Kate Middleton’s painting has become a subject of debate

It’s evidently not an ideal moment for unveiling royal portraits. Just a week after King Charles’ contentious “blood-red” painting, another royal artwork has come under public scrutiny… this time featuring the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton.

British fashion and lifestyle magazine Tatler has unveiled the princess’ portrait on the cover of its July edition, commissioned by the British-Zambian artist Hannah Uzor. While the artist says the painting tries to capture the “soul” of Kate, many are calling it a “parody”.

The story of the painting

The portrait, part of Tatler’s series on the British royal family, depicts Kate Middleton at the first state banquet of King Charles III’s reign during the South Africa state visit in 2022.

Inspired by her look that day – she wore a stunning white caped Jenny Packham floor-length evening gown, the Lover’s Knot tiara, a bracelet once belonging to the late Queen Elizabeth II, and drop earrings that belonged to the late Princess Diana – Uzor said she found the ensemble “physically striking”. “It made her look very regal and very confident,” she added.

Uzor told Tatler that she chose to paint using the “bluey, turquoise” background to give reference to Kate’s green eyes and to the experience of being in a garden and on water, reflecting the princess’s love of rowing.

“Colour is one of the most important things in a work of art because it can really speak to the atmosphere,” said the painter in a social media post.

‘Portrait of Strength and Dignity’

Interestingly, Kate did not sit for the portrait, the artist said she then spent hours looking at the future queen’s paintings and photographs to capture her “soul” for the artwork, titled “Portrait of Strength and Dignity” by the magazine.

“It’s really important to capture the soul of the person, so I spent a lot of time looking at her and looking at her pictures, watching videos of her, seeing her with her family, seeing her in diplomatic visits, seeing her rowing or visiting children in a hospice,” Uzor said in a video shared by Tatler.

“It has been really interesting for me to get a sense of who she is,” said Uzor.

When asked if it was Kate’s cancer diagnosis video that gave her a new perspective, the artist answered, “Without a doubt. All my portraits are made up of layers of a personality, constructed from everything I can find about them.”

The artist conveyed her admiration for Kate, who announced in March that she would step down from public view while undergoing chemotherapy treatment. “She has truly embraced her role.. it’s as if she was destined for it,” Uzor remarked. “Her demeanour exudes dignity, elegance, and grace.”

“Is this a parody?”

However, the painting is now drawing criticism with some royal fans and critics questioning the artwork’s likeness to the princess, with one calling it a “bad GCSE [graphics] project”.

“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,” one individual wrote on X. While another said, “That is never the princess, that is another woman in her dress.”

“Is this a parody? Love the artist… she’s very stylish… but the painting, while lovely… doesn’t look like the Princess of Wales,” wrote another.

Alastair Sooke, the chief art critic of the Daily Telegraph, was less sympathetic to Uzor’s work, calling it “egregiously, intolerably, jaw-hits-the-floor bad”.

Other commentators drew comparisons between the newly unveiled portrait and the one of King Charles released the previous week, with one user commenting, “Following the controversy surrounding the King Charles portrait, you would expect them to ensure it was flawless.”

The portrait of King Charles, which towers over six feet, showcases a vivid red background and depicts him donning the uniform of the Welsh Guards, a role he assumed as Regimental Colonel in 1975, as stated by Buckingham Palace. It was described by some commentators as like a “poster for a horror movie”.

With input from agencies