Queen Elizabeth is leading the tributes to the Duchess of Cambridge on her 40th birthday.
The royal is celebrating her milestone birthday on Sunday (09.01.22) and a message was shared on the Royal Family’s Twitter account from the Queen.
It read: “Wishing The Duchess of Cambridge a very happy 40th birthday today!”
Catherine’s father-in-law Prince Charles and his wife Duchess Camilla also posted a selection of pictures on their Twitter account and wrote: “Wishing The Duchess of Cambridge a very happy 40th birthday today!”
Duchess Catherine and her husband Prince William – who have children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis together – posted a selection of new portraits of the royal to mark her big day.
They were taken by Paolo Roversi and will be displayed in the National Portrait Gallery in London, of which Duchess Catherine is a patron.
They wrote: “Delighted to share a new portrait of The Duchess ahead of her 40th birthday tomorrow. This is one of three new portraits which will enter the permanent collection of the @NPGLondon, of which The Duchess is Patron.
“These new portraits which have been released to mark the 40th will be shown in the community in three meaningful places: Berkshire, St Andrews, and Anglesey, as part of the @NPGLondon nationwide ‘Coming Home’ exhibition, ahead of the Gallery reopening in 2023.”
Catherine’s parents live in Berkshire, she met Prince William at St Andrews and they couple spent the first years of their married life together in Anglesey, North Wales.
Speaking about the portraits, which were taken at Kew Gardens in London, a royal source told The Mail On Sunday newspaper: “From the three photographs, you can see the three aspects of Kate’s personality.
“There is the regal side to her – as you can see in the classic shot where she is looking off into the distance; there is the more informal image in the red dress as a modern woman at 40; and then there is the close-up, which offers a more intimate perspective.”
In all three pictures, Catherine is wearing Alexander McQueen, the same design house that created her wedding dress in 2011.
Mr Roversi, 74, said: “I was moved by her warmth and friendly welcome and enchanted by her shining eyes that reflected the loveliness of her soul and her smile showing the generosity of her heart. I have met a wonderful person, a person who, with her positive energy, can bring hope to the whole world.”