✖

The Gallery holds the most extensive collection of portraits in the world. Search over 215,000 works, 150,000 of which are illustrated from the 16th Century to the present day.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, by Paul Emsley, 2012 - NPG 6956 - © National Portrait Gallery, London

© National Portrait Gallery, London

  • Larger Image
  • Image zoom
  • Buy a print
  • Use this image
  • ShareShare this

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge

by Paul Emsley
oil on canvas, 2012
45 3/8 in. x 38 in. (1152 mm x 965 mm)
Commissioned and given by Sir Hugh Leggatt in memory of Sir Denis Mahon through the Art Fund, 2012
Primary Collection
NPG 6956

On display at Bendigo Art Gallery, Bendigo, Australia

Sitterback to top

Artistback to top

This portraitback to top

Glasgow-born artist Paul Emsley grew up in South Africa and won first prize in the BP Portrait Award (2007). Painting Her Royal Highness at the beginning of her public life, The Duchess was able to give Emsley two sittings, the first at Kensington Palace and the second at the artist's studio. Emsley's subjects are frequently located against a dark background and emphasize, 'the singularity and silence of the form'.

Related worksback to top

  • NPG 7002: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (finished work)

Linked publicationsback to top

  • 100 Portraits, p. 150
  • Smartify image discovery app
  • Cannadine, Sir David (Introduction); Cooper, Tarnya; Stewart, Louise; MacGibbon, Rab; Cox, Paul; Peltz, Lucy; Moorhouse, Paul; Broadley, Rosie; Jascot-Gill, Sabina ., Tudors to Windsors: British Royal Portraits, 2018 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, USA, 7 October 2018 -3 February 2019. Bendigo Art Gallery, Australia, 16 March - 14 July 2019.), p. 225 Read entry

    In 2011, the Duke of Cambridge married Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey, and Paul Emsley's portrait of the new duchess was painted the following year to mark her role as patron of the National Portrait Gallery. Emsley had two sittings with the newest Windsor, at Kensington Palace and in his studio. The large-scale head-and-shoulders format is unusual in royal portraiture, with an immediacy that directly connects sitter and viewer. The duchess holds a degree in art history from the University of St Andrews and was directly involved in selecting the artist for this portrait. Since starting a family, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have become increasingly involved with charitable causes that support young people.

  • Ribeiro, Aileen; Blackman, Cally, A Portrait of Fashion: Six Centuries of Dress at the National Portrait Gallery, 2015, p. 273
  • Various contributors, National Portrait Gallery: A Portrait of Britain, 2014, p. 279 Read entry

    Catherine Elizabeth Middleton, now Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge, was born in Berkshire and attended Marlborough College. She studied at the British Institute in Florence before enrolling at the University of St Andrews in Fife to study history of art. She married His Royal Highness Prince William at Westminster Abbey on 29 April 2011. In February 2012, St James’s Palace announced her patronage of five charities, one of which is the National Portrait Gallery.

    Glasgow-born artist Paul Emsley (b.1947) grew up in South Africa and won first prize in the 2007 BP Portrait Award. The Duchess sat for Emsley twice, at Kensington Palace and in the artist’s studio. Emsley’s subjects are frequently located against a dark background and are imbued with an imaginative, almost ethereal quality. This portrait depicts the Duchess at an important time: the beginning of her public life in Britain.

Placesback to top

Linked displays and exhibitionsback to top

Subjects & Themesback to top

Tell us more back to top

Can you tell us more about this portrait? Spotted an error, information that is missing (a sitter’s life dates, occupation or family relationships, or a date of portrait for example) or do you know anything that we don't know? If you have information to share please complete the form below.

If you require information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service. You can buy a print of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at £6 for unframed prints, £25 for framed prints. If you wish to license this image, please use our Rights and Images service.

Please note that we cannot provide valuations.

We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.

What can you tell us?close

There are occasions when we are unsure of the identity of a sitter or artist, their life dates, occupation or have not recorded their family relationships. Sometimes we have not recorded the date of a portrait. Do you have specialist knowledge or a particular interest about any aspect of the portrait or sitter or artist that you can share with us? We would welcome any information that adds to and enhances our information and understanding about a particular portrait, sitter or artist.

Citationclose

How do you know this? Please could you let us know your source of information.

* Permission to publish (Privacy information)
Privacy Informationclose

The National Portrait Gallery will NOT use your information to contact you or store for any other purpose than to investigate or display your contribution. By ticking permission to publish you are indicating your agreement for your contribution to be shown on this collection item page. Please note your email address will not be displayed on the page nor will it be used for any marketing material or promotion of any kind.

Please ensure your comments are relevant and appropriate. Your contributions must be polite and with no intention of causing trouble. All contributions are moderated.

Your Emailclose

Contributions are moderated. We'll need your email address so that we can follow up on the information provided and contact you to let you know when your contribution has been published.