A source said the duchess worked in collaboration with photographer Paolo Roversi, sharing her clear vision via video call before they met at Kew Gardens for a shoot lasting a few hours.
Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge.Credit:Paolo Roversi/Kensington Palace/AP
The pictures will now enter the permanent collection at the National Portrait Gallery, of which the duchess is patron. She has previously curated an exhibition of 19th-century photography at the gallery. The NPG will exhibit the pictures throughout the year as part of its “Coming Home” project, which sees photographs of notable public figures displayed in locations that are meaningful to the subject. The duchess’s will go to her home county of Berkshire, her university town of St Andrews and her first marital home of Anglesey.
Roversi, an Italian high-fashion photographer, is a regular contributor to Vogue. One of the veterans of the European photographic scene, he cut his teeth as a young news photographer in the early 70s. He said he approached fashion photography as a news assignment and that his technique was to try and strip away a subject’s masks “until you have something pure left”.
He paid glowing tribute to his latest subject, saying taking the duchess’s portrait “was a true honour for me, and a moment of pure joy”. “I was moved by her warmth and friendly welcome and enchanted by her shining eyes that reflected the loveliness of her soul and her smile showing the generosity of her heart,” he enthused. “I have met a wonderful person… who, with her positive energy, can bring hope to the world.”
The photoshoot took place in November in the Temperate House at Kew Gardens, where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have recently spent time with children at an engagement relating to the Earthshot Prize.
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The duchess, who studied the history of art at St Andrew’s University, initiated a video call with Roversi to share her photographic inspiration, with reference points from the royal family’s history and beyond.
Cecil Beaton, who took the most famous photographs of the Queen Mother, the young Queen and Princess Margaret, was central to the inspiration, along with Julia Margaret Cameron, the pioneering female photographer of the 19th century.
“It was very much a collaborative process,” said a source. “She is really creative and very much into her photography – she was extremely involved in all of this.”
The dresses are each by Alexander McQueen, the British fashion house. One incorporates silk jacquard, lace, organza and tulle repurposed from previous collections in an effort to improve sustainability.
The Telegraph, London
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