Kate Middleton portrait commissioned by Tatler draws negative comments: 'I thought it was a parody'
The artwork of the Princess of Wales is the third royal portrait commissioned by Tatler, following Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 and King Charles in 2023.
The portrait commissioned by Tatler Magazine (left) and Kate Middleton (right) at an event. (Photos: X/Tatlermagazine, KensingtonRoyal)
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A new portrait of Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, has been criticised online after fans noted its lack of resemblance to her. The artwork is the third royal portrait commissioned by fashion magazine Tatler – following Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 and King Charles in 2023 – and is set to be the front cover of the magazine's July 2024 issue.
The portrait was first unveiled by Tatler on Wednesday (May 22) and it immediately elicited strong responses online.
"What a horrible portrait", "My 9-year-old granddaughter could probably have made a better job", "I thought it was a parody" and "That is soulless and cold" are just some of the comments disparaging the portrait on Tatler's social media pages.
Alastair Sooke, the chief art critic of the British newspaper The Telegraph, has even called the artwork "intolerably bad" with "no flicker of resemblance to its subject".
The portrait was done by British-Zambian artist Hannah Uzor who previously took part in a project to highlight overlooked figures from the African diaspora who have contributed to England's history. Uzor's portrait of Sara Forbes Bonetta, a former slave who became Queen Victoria’s goddaughter, drew attention from CNN, Sky News and even King Charles.
In a video uploaded on Tatler's social media pages, Uzor spoke about the process of creating Kate's portrait. Highlighting the importance of capturing "the soul of the person", she added that she spent lots of time studying photos and videos of Kate at various events.
The royal family, Tatler and Hannah Uzor have yet to respond to the criticism surrounding the artwork.
The backlash surrounding Hannah Uzor's painting comes days after the unveiling of King Charles' first official portrait since his coronation which also drew negative comments. The vivid red portrait of King Charles shows him standing in military attire with a butterfly hovering over him.
The artwork's striking colour has attracted considerable criticism, with some saying that it looks like King Charles "is in hell" and "bathing in blood".
