Kate Middleton turned 40 years old and to celebrate such a special date the British royal house has shared three beautiful snapshots that were part of the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London.
The three images were taken by the Italian photographer Paolo Roversi, and it has been he himself who has revealed all the secrets that have surrounded this incredible session.
The secrets behind Kate Middleton’s portraits
In an interview with the newspaper ‘Corriere della Será’, the photographer has assured that the first meeting with the Duchess of Cambridge was held last November at Kensington Palace, where she even gave him some ideas.
“At first the duchess was apprehensive,” Roversi told.
The session required about four hours of work and 250 photographs were taken.
“Knowing my photos with models she was a little fearful of facing a real session, which required about four hours of work. But I reassured her that once we started it was going to be very easy. And so it was.”
The photographer also revealed that he made the Duchess of Cambridge dance rock and roll to relax.
“In the end I wanted to take pictures in motion, so with that wonderful wide skirt I made her dance in front of my lens, a kind of accelerated waltz mixed with a pinch of rock ‘n roll,” he said.
Roversi wanted to capture Prince William’s wife in her most natural form “all in natural light.”
“I bet everything on natural light. She, with little makeup, no hairdressing, simple pearl earrings, the ring … The focus is on his face, on the look and the smile. I didn’t want her very ‘Duchess’, very ‘establishment’, but as contemporary as possible, timeless,” says Roversi.
Of the 250 images were reduced to 70 and the Duchess then chose around 10, before Roversi chose her three favourites.
Prince William and their children Prince George, eight, Princess Charlotte, six, and Prince Louis, three, chose the “official” sepia image as their favourite, where Kate is looking directly at the camera.
Roversi also spoke of her time with Kate, whom she praised: “She is a nice and warm woman, who makes things easier and respects the work of others. It oozes joy of living. It is open, generous, bright. I think it can bring a lot of hope to England and the whole world.”
The three portraits will enter the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery.
