Kate Middleton‘s first official royal portrait, which was unveiled back in January 2013, has mysteriously disappeared from the National Portrait Gallery in London, where it has been on display for the past decade.
The portrait, which was painted by Scotland-born artist Paul Emsley in 2012, is quite controversial, as it didn’t go down well with the public when it was first unveiled. If you’ll recall, many people didn’t think that the Princess of Wales, 41, who seldom looks bad in pictures, was captured in the best, and most flattering, way, and the picture has therefore come under fire for the past decade.
Kate Middleton's Portrait Disappears From Public View
As the Princess of Wales is a patron of the National Portrait Gallery, perhaps she was the one who influenced the decision to have it taken down due to the years-long controversy, as it's unlikely that it would have been removed without her approval.
"It’s unthinkable that the painting of Her Royal Highness would be removed from public view without consulting her," a source reportedly told the Daily Mail's Richard Eden. "That would be very discourteous. She is our greatly valued patron," the insider added.
There are now just two pictures of the Princess of Wales on display at the National Portrait Gallery. The first one is a painting of the Prince and Princess of Wales together by Jamie Coreth, while the other is a picture by Italian fashion photographer Paolo Roversi taken in 2022 in honor of her 40th birthday.
Why Was Kate Middleton's Portrait Removed?
At the time of writing, there has been no official reason given for the portrait no longer being on display. According to The Royal Observer, the portrait is "consigned to a storeroom at the National Portrait Gallery." All hope of seeing the infamous portrait of the mom-of-three in person is not completely lost though, as visitors can reportedly schedule an appointment to visit the archive department.
And while they're going through the archives, visitors could also potentially catch a glimpse at Prince William and Prince Harry's portrait, painted by Nicola 'Nicky' Philipps, as that was taken down earlier this year. It's speculated that their ongoing feud is the real reason the portrait was removed, although according to a past report from The Times, the National Portrait Gallery didn’t explicitly say that the feud was the reason for its removal; nor did Kensington Palace suggest that the portrait was removed at their request.
