See Prince William and Kate Middleton's First Official Joint Portrait

Prince William and Kate Middleton's first official portrait has been unveiled. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge got a good look at the painting on Thursday when they saw it in person during a visit to the University of Cambridge’s Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridgeshire, where it will be on display for the next three years.

"Delighted to see this new portrait unveiled at the @FitzMuseum_UK in Cambridge today!" a tweet from the couple's Twitter account read. 

The artwork, painted by award-winning British artist Jamie Coreth, features Kate in an emerald green Falconetti dress by Susie Cave’s label, The Vampire’s Wife. According to Vogue, it is the same gown the Duchess wore during a 2020 trip to the Guinness factory in Dublin. William, meanwhile, is painted in a suit with a tie that compliments his wife's dress.

According to a statement from Kensington Palace, the piece was “commissioned in 2021 by the Cambridgeshire Royal Portrait Fund, held by the Cambridge Community Foundation, as a gift to Cambridgeshire."

“With this brief in mind, the artist worked to incorporate the City of Cambridge into the portrait by painting the background with the tones and colours of many of the historical stone buildings that are synonymous with the city,” the statement continued. “The portrait also includes the use of a hexagonal architectural motif which can be seen on buildings across Cambridge."

The Cambridgeshire Royal Portrait Fund "will continue to work with the museum to ensure the portrait is used as a means of encouraging children and young people of all backgrounds from across the county to take an interest in art in all its forms," the statement added.

In a statement, Coreth said: "It has been 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. As it is the first portrait to depict them together, and specifically during their time as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, I wanted the image to evoke a feeling of balance between their public and private lives."

The artist also shared his excitement on Instagram. "A surreal and extraordinary experience to have had my painting of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge unveiled today at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge," Coreth wrote. "It has been the most extraordinary privilege of my life to be chosen to paint this picture. "

After three years, the portrait will be moved from the University of Cambridge’s Fitzwilliam Museum and will go on display around Cambridgeshire. It will also be loaned to the National Portrait Gallery in 2023 to commemorate the gallery’s reopening. 

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