Kate Middleton and Prince William crossed a major first off of their list this week, viewing their first-ever official joint portrait.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who have been married for 11 years and together for two decades, visited Cambridgeshire on Thursday, where they were able to see the painting.
The portrait, painted by Jamie Coreth and Commissioned by the Cambridgeshire Royal Portrait Fund, currently resides at the Fitzwilliam Museum at the University of Cambridge. Coreth said on his Instagram account that it was “a surreal and extraordinary experience” to have the portrait unveiled.
“It has been the most extraordinary privilege of my life to be chosen to paint this picture,” he added.
Jamie Coreth/Fine Art Commissions, Kensington Palace via AP
In the painting, the Duke of Cambridge is pictured wearing a suit with a light blue tie, while the duchess dons a dress from British label The Vampire’s Wife.
The iridescent emerald silk metallic chiffon gown, called “The Falconetti,” retails for $1,989. Kate previously wore the dress in March 2020, and it made headlines for its similarity to one of Princess Beatrice’s favorite gowns, called “The Veneration Dress.”
The Cambridges posted a photo of onlookers viewing the portrait.
“Delighted to see this new portrait unveiled at the @fitzmuseum_uk in Cambridge today!” they wrote.
WPA Pool via Getty Images
Coreth, in a statement shared with HuffPost, spoke about how he sought to portray the royal couple in their first official portrait.
“I wanted to show Their Royal Highnesses in a manner where they appeared both relaxed and approachable, as well as elegant and dignified,” he 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 artist added. “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.”