Could a stunning new royal portrait be part of a bigger plan?
And what does Meghan Markle possibly have to do with it? Keep watching to find out.
The royal family is no stranger to very flattering gifts. They've been given
everything from expensive jewels to singing toy hamsters, according to Vanity Fair.
The latest gift presented to members of the royal family, however,
is bigger than all the rest — literally. Kate Middleton and Prince William just received a
larger-than-life portrait of themselves by the award-winning artist Jamie Coreth. The Duchess
of Cambridge seems to be extremely smitten with the portrait, and there's a major reason why.
Middleton is definitely used to having her photo taken. She's waved to the
public in gorgeous outfits, been viewed by millions the day of her televised wedding,
and has even graced the cover of Vogue. But it seems that the most recent portrait
could be the one that she's most excited about. Not only is it the first official
portrait of her and Prince William, but it's made to be in her favor.
In fact, the portrait could be what she needs to look more approachable to the public,
which seems to be a big part of the royal game plan as of late.
"I think they're very aware of, that word optics, of how things look in this modern day."
Believe it or not, this portrait is the first official joint painting of Middleton
and Prince William. The oversized image was unveiled at the University of Cambridge's
Fitzwilliam Museum on June 23rd, and it shows the pair relaxed,
smiling, and gazing off to the right. There are no royal sashes or crowns in sight.
"He looks approachable, I think that hand in the pocket just makes him look that much more relaxed,
maybe the artist suggested it."
In all the images taken of the unveiling, Middleton is beaming when looking at the painting.
Not only is it likely very exciting to see yourself in a portrait,
but the portrait was painted to be, well, extremely flattering.
According to People magazine, painter James Coreth said,
"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 piece was commissioned as a gift for the people of
Cambridgeshire, and I hope they will enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed creating it."
Prince William might be king someday, but the portrait also depicts a very put together
future queen consort. The royal portrait might be part of a bigger plan though.
It could be a way to make the royal couple look a bit more open and inviting.
When Middleton joined the royal family, people were overall pretty excited. Not
only did Prince William marry for love, but his wife seemed to fit seamlessly into the family.
That was, until Meghan Markle came in and shook everything up.
People realized that Markle, as an American who had worked successfully as an actress,
might just be more approachable and respected, as Newsweek reported. Then came the bombshell
Oprah interview that shocked the world and pinned Markle and Middleton against each other.
As odd as it may sound, Middleton could be leaning into her recent portrait to shift her image and
make herself seem more approachable. According to People mag, Jamie Coreth went on to say,
"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."
The portrait isn't the only way that the royal couple are trying to seem more approachable.
The pair has been on a mission to "modernize the monarchy,"
according to The Sun. Middleton and Prince William have even thrown around dropping
their royal titles and being called by their first names.
Middleton also started to open up more to catch up with the times.
One royal biographer told People mag,
"The changing times have required Kate to start to share a bit more.
She's done it carefully enough to be relatable — nothing that would
cause controversy and nothing that could be considered oversharing."
Something tells us that the duchess won't be giving skincare or fashion recommendations
anytime soon, but who knows where these little steps to becoming more approachable will lead!
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