Duchess of Cambridge 40th birthday photographs

[eternalopt]

Pictures released of the Duchess for her 40th - she looks amazing! Love her hair like that www.independent.co.uk/life-style/royal-family/kate-middleton-duchess-cambridge-photos-birthday-b1989379.html?amp

@merrymouse

Can only guess that they were taken in a glass house at Kew.

There is no more light in the gardens than anywhere else outside.

Yes, that's what I thought. They probably had to move all the plants to get the space for all the photographers kit!

I think they're wonderful photos, she looks stunning

I was always taught that if I didn’t have anything nice to say, say nothing and for this reason I’ve been reluctant to make any comment about these photographs.
The best I can come up with is that they were taken for display in the National Portrait Gallery and I suppose that is what they are - portraits that will be viewed in years to come by those that weren’t alive when the Duchess of Cambridge was.
As of now though these are what I would call ‘try too hard’ photographs that have been posed to within an inch of their life and have robbed her of all her naturalness.
Had I been her, irrespective of my royal connections and responsibilities I think I would have wanted something a little less structured and more ‘me’ to have been published alongside these formal but trying hard not to be formal photographs to mark my 40th birthday.

It has been interesting reading the concept behind these photos. It is trying to show Kate as a modern Royal. So past, present and future.
Except I don't think it works as a concept.
Diana was a moderniser. I think the photo is referenced in the second Kate photo is Diana posing in a flak jacket when campaigning on land mines. Whether you personally like Diana, that was modernising by focusing on causes that were not the usual non-controversial Royal Family causes.
Kate is not a moderniser and we have been told for the last few years that she is following in the footsteps of the Queen in terms of tradition. So why suddenly introduce this idea of her being a moderniser? It makes no sense.
The photo also does not look like her. That is strange because Kate is pretty, so why try and make her look like someone else? She is not a plain woman that you have to photoshop to look very attractive. I don't understand why they would do this.

If I was going to do photos for Kate showing her as a modern Royal I would either have -

1. Photographed her in a pastiche of an artists studio being painted wearing trousers and a pretty top. It would hark to the past of other Royals being painted, but show her wearing modern clothes.

or

1. Have her photographed on a living room floor playing lego with her kids. I would have smart sofas in the background and the corner of a large TV. I would also have a toy on one of the sofas - maybe a traditional African toy - that is good for child development.

Then I would wax lyrically about what an amazing mother she is and her early years work.

I think Kate and Williams PR is really badly managed and I don't understand why. It so often gets it a bit wrong.

Just to add, I don't think the point of these photos should be for her to look stunning. They should be part of a wider PR strategy. Charles and Camillas PR is much better, and their PR firm has fewer positives to work with than William and Kates.

2. Have her photographed on a living room floor playing lego with her kids. I would have smart sofas in the background and the corner of a large TV. I would also have a toy on one of the sofas - maybe a traditional African toy - that is good for child development.

Really?!?

Then I would wax lyrically about what an amazing mother she is and her early years work.

Of course you would🤣🤣

She looks very different (and better) because she hasn't got her normal eyeliner on. I think a professional MUA has done her makeup rather than her.

@StormzyinaTCup

2. Have her photographed on a living room floor playing lego with her kids. I would have smart sofas in the background and the corner of a large TV. I would also have a toy on one of the sofas - maybe a traditional African toy - that is good for child development.

Really?!?

Then I would wax lyrically about what an amazing mother she is and her early years work.

Of course you would🤣🤣

Yes I would. Show her as "just like us", emphasising her being a good mother and early years work.

Yes I would. Show her as "just like us", emphasising her being a good mother and early years work.

It’s a formal portrait not an ‘at home’ piece for ‘Hello’ Magazine.

@RoyalFamilyFan

If I was going to do photos for Kate showing her as a modern Royal I would either have -

1. Photographed her in a pastiche of an artists studio being painted wearing trousers and a pretty top. It would hark to the past of other Royals being painted, but show her wearing modern clothes.

or

1. Have her photographed on a living room floor playing lego with her kids. I would have smart sofas in the background and the corner of a large TV. I would also have a toy on one of the sofas - maybe a traditional African toy - that is good for child development.

Then I would wax lyrically about what an amazing mother she is and her early years work.

I think Kate and Williams PR is really badly managed and I don't understand why. It so often gets it a bit wrong.

This just has tp be a joke.

@StormzyinaTCup I also suggested a more formal alternative.
The point is that the concept does not ring true because Kate is not a moderniser and we have been told that for the last so many years by their PR.
It is why I think so many are critical as it makes no sense and has no authenticity.

One nice point- ahe looks so like little Charlotte in the headshot! Pretty woman.

@RoyalFamilyFan

If I was going to do photos for Kate showing her as a modern Royal I would either have -

1. Photographed her in a pastiche of an artists studio being painted wearing trousers and a pretty top. It would hark to the past of other Royals being painted, but show her wearing modern clothes.

or

1. Have her photographed on a living room floor playing lego with her kids. I would have smart sofas in the background and the corner of a large TV. I would also have a toy on one of the sofas - maybe a traditional African toy - that is good for child development.

Then I would wax lyrically about what an amazing mother she is and her early years work.

I think Kate and Williams PR is really badly managed and I don't understand why. It so often gets it a bit wrong.

I am very glad they didn’t go down this route, it would have been nauseatingly twee to hammer home in such a literal way what her role is

Also when I am offered some 40th glamour shots and decide I’d rather have a photo sitting on the floor surrounded by grubby Lego please escort me to the nearest euthanasia clinic

@rubicscubicle your post makes no sense There's no clue what "it" refers to.

I think rubics is talking about pockets

@RoyalFamilyFan

If I was going to do photos for Kate showing her as a modern Royal I would either have -

1. Photographed her in a pastiche of an artists studio being painted wearing trousers and a pretty top. It would hark to the past of other Royals being painted, but show her wearing modern clothes.

or

1. Have her photographed on a living room floor playing lego with her kids. I would have smart sofas in the background and the corner of a large TV. I would also have a toy on one of the sofas - maybe a traditional African toy - that is good for child development.

Then I would wax lyrically about what an amazing mother she is and her early years work.

I think Kate and Williams PR is really badly managed and I don't understand why. It so often gets it a bit wrong.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Thank you for the laugh! I didn't 'get' the irony in your username or your faux confusion initially but you're actually really amusing.

@SallyLockheart

I think rubics is talking about pockets

Ah thanks. I do like the hands in pockets pose.

@ShirleyPhallus Glamour shots are for fat middle-aged women wanting glamorous photos. It makes no sense for a pretty woman to do such an old fashioned photo.

Glamour shots are for fat middle-aged women wanting glamorous photos. It makes no sense for a pretty woman to do such an old fashioned photo.

Maybe she just wanted to have some “glamorous”portraits for her birthday. Why shouldn’t she of she wants? No need to be judgy.

So your formal option is this:

1. Photographed her in a pastiche of an artists studio being painted wearing trousers and a pretty top. It would hark to the past of other Royals being painted, but show her wearing modern clothes.

Obviously pastiche is not what she wanted. It’s a formal portrait on a milestone birthday which I think warrants more than ‘trousers and a pretty top’.

With all due respect it’s probably a good job you weren’t running the operation .

The point is that the concept does not ring true because Kate is not a moderniser and we have been told that for the last so many years by their PR.

Her current role is not a moderniser no, that’s not in their remit currently, it’s as supporter to the Queen and PC. It’s highly likely they will modernise when the time is right which isn’t now.

It is why I think so many are critical as it makes no sense and has no authenticity.

Why does it need to be ‘authentic’ my trigger word can’t she just ‘go glam’ and have fun with something for funs sake?

@smilesy these arént private family photos. For your own photos, do what you want. These are public PR photos, and the concept behind them doesn't hold up.
I mean they wont do her any harm, but her PR firm could have used them to increase her popularity. Yes I know she is popular, but these photos will have no impact on that.
Diana's flackjacket photo did help to boost her popularity.
It is just a wasted PR moment.

@StormzyinaTCup Others were saying the concept was past, present and futuré - with the future showing her in a red dress as a moderniser. My point is that she is not a moderniser as we are often told.
I am not asking her to be, I am talking about the concept of the photo and how it makes no sense.
PR has to have some authenticity to peoples real personalities, otherwise it fails.

@RoyalFamilyFan. I disagree. Not everything she does has to be about PR. The Queen has had some controversial portraits done in her time, but maybe she liked them. Not everyone will like whatever style of photo that they issue as evidenced by some people on here saying the photos should be more informal and others saying not. So she may as well issue the photos that she wants to.

I would consider that they are are celebration photos not PR. They are to be formally hung in a national gallery and no doubt will be followed by other formal portrai photos when Catherine is 50, 60 etc. The PR photos are the Christmas cards, children’s birthdays, attending Earthshot etc