Portrait of HRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Portrait of HRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

On display until 5 March 2027*
In the North Transept of Ely Cathedral

This is the first official joint portrait of William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales (then known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge). 

The painting was unveiled at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge on 23 June 2022 in the presence of their Royal Highnesses. It remained there for three years when it was loaned to the National Portrait Gallery in London in 2023, to mark its reopening.

The idea for the portrait was initiated by Sir Michael Marshall, a Cambridgeshire businessman and philanthropist who, along with others, set up the Cambridgeshire Royal Portrait Fund and, in 2021 Jamie Coreth, a young up and coming artist and the recipient of the 2016 BP Young Artist Award, was commissioned to paint a portrait of the Duke and Duchess as a gift to Cambridgeshire. 

Regarding the work and its features, Coreth commented that he "wanted to show Their Royal Highnesses in a manner where they appeared both relaxed and approachable, as well as elegant and dignified". He further stated that the piece is meant "to evoke a feeling of balance between their public and private lives".

The Royal couple sat for Coreth twice at Kensington Palace, and later each had a solo session with the artist. The result was a 210cm by 110cm oil painting which shows the couple standing side-by-side while gazing into the distance. William is dressed in a black suit with an eggshell coloured shirt and teal tie, while Catherine is shown wearing a metallic emerald green dress and satin green heels. 

The pieces of jewellery worn by Catherine, are equally significant and include the Duchess of Cambridge's pearl pendant brooch, and Diana, Princess of Wales' Collingwood pearl earrings and three-strand pearl bracelet. The outfits were similar to the ones worn by the couple during their visit to Dublin in 2020. The background features tones and a hexagonal architectural motif that, according to the artist, were inspired by the buildings and architecture in Cambridge.

Entry by Cathedral visitor ticket or pass
* Please check for any changes to regular visitor opening times